Aftermath
by Kilarra
Summary: Going to the Digital World changes you. Dying in it changes you more. After coming back, Koichi gained psychic abilities, but they come with a catch. Now, five years later, the taint that formed Duskmon has found a way to not only enter but also spread like a parasite through the Human World. And if that parasite gets into Koichi, there's no stopping the flood of darkness.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: Let me start by saying this may be the best thing I've ever written. It's been years in the making, like, five years. Aren't you all glad I didn't publish it over the course of five years! The chapters are in parts so it's not such a pain to read on the computer screen, and as such updates will probably appear in clusters or on consecutive days. I am still a graduate student, so, as I found with Relapse, updating consistently may be challenging. However, I will be able to post a new chapter once every week or two.**

 **There are some bits here and there that may be uncomfortable, so I will put like a content warning at the end those chapters so you can check if you want to. I would put them at the beginning, but then it occurred to me that seeing content information right off the bat might spoil the surprise. If I miss one do let me know!**

 **Actually, if you have any thoughts at all let me know! And, as always, enjoy!**

* * *

Near-death experience-ers, or NDEs. That's what they call them- us- the people who came back from death. We're the one's who die and, despite the doctors' initial efforts, stayed dead in every medically meaningful way. That's where the story usually ends, when everyone calls time of death and starts packing up the instruments and preparing the corps for the family. But for some reason, call it fate or luck, we're the exception. Something happened to us, something that most corpses never experience. Someone tries one more thing, some jerk of the table shits the body, some draft re-deposits the soul. For me it was my brother calling me, the sound of his voice coupled with one last miracle from the Digital World. Whatever it is, this event happens and suddenly, inexplicably, we're alive again.

And that experience gives us special… properties. Hence the special name, I guess. Most of them are kind of ambiguous; increased kindness, a feeling of "oneness" with the world, that sort of thing. But a couple are quite quantifiable, which is why anyone bothers keeping records or studying NDEs at all. For instance, those who recover from a near-death experience with their old personality still intact often become acutely sensitive to things like light and medication. Simple things like walking outside without sunglasses or taking a pain killer can cause anything from a splitting headache to nausea. A sudden jump in IQ is also common and school age NDEs often show a notable increase in academic performance. Perhaps the most significant and unusual "property" is the increased bioelectric field. The clichéd example is that wrist watches have a tendency to stop working when worn by an NDE. The abstract example links it to newfound extra sensory perception…

That's where my case deviates from other NDEs. There's no ambiguity; I can affect the needle of a compass by getting too close. It's not significant enough to mess with any electronics, but it's measurable. The doctors were- are at a loss and, since it wasn't considered dangerous, they were generally content to leave it as an oddity and release me without extensive testing. On the one hand, it would have been nice to know a little more about these new traits before going back into the world. On the other, an investigation would have brought up some tricky questions. Like why am I so special? It's sort of an unspoken consensus between us Digidestined that my bioelectric field has something to do with my consciousness spending an extended period of time existing as, for lack of a better term, data. Unlike the others, I left my physical body behind and existed in the Digital World as pure electrical energy. A ghost in the data-scape. Maybe when I came back my… spirit retained some of those characteristics? Who knows, and honestly, who could figure it out?

Anyway, though bioelectric fields are interesting, that's not what's been causing me problems. No, being unable to ware a watch or hold a compass is annoying, but what gets me into trouble is the accompanying ESP. It's not particularly strong, mostly just what the psychic journals like to call moderate empathy… with most people.

With Kouji, things are different. With Kouji, things are always different. Everything started out small; feelings here, a few words there. Then the ability grew and by the time we hit high school there were days when I could practically read his mind. And then it got to the point were, on those days, he could practically read mine too. Slowly but surely, that little bit of privacy you have with someone like your twin brother disappeared. Which, as you can imagine, has put a little bit of strain on our relationship. We're still close and we still traverse our parents' homes and school together, but sometimes it's hard. Kouji's a very private person and, although there's almost nothing he wouldn't share with me nor I with him, the sanctuary of our own thoughts is a lot to give up. Especially without a choice. Of course, over time I've learned to suppress it… or maybe control it is a better term. So most of the time we're a perfectly normal set of long-lost identical twin brothers.

But on those days that we're not things get awkward.


	2. Needles in the Night I

"You know you don't have to walk me home, Koji."

"Koichi, it's fine." He said it with conviction, but Koichi knew better. The way he had his hands shoved into his pockets, the way he had his shoulders rounded as if walking through a storm, even the subtle variations in his expression of passive annoyance at the world all betrayed him. It was not fine.

"I can tell you don't want to be here," Kouichu said in a low voice, tightening his grip on the grocery bag. "You're still mad at me about last night."

"Is that something you _'sense?'_ " He mumbled as if to himself, but even without volume the bitterness was palpable in Koji's voice.

"I don't have to _sense_ anything; your irritation's like a smog," Koichi snapped before he could stop himself, instantly regretting it. Koji threw an ice-cold look over his shoulder, but bit back the scathing retort he had all prepared. His twin looked stressed, his jaw tight and his breath shallow. Their eyes didn't meet.

"Koichi-" he tried instead, but was cut off.

"I get it, you don't have to force yourself to be around me."

Koji stopped abruptly right in front of Koichi, causing a near collision and the panicked sidestepping of the few people who'd been walking behind them. It was late on a Friday night and, though the train stations and down town were packed with people out enjoying life, the maze of residential streets and small grocery stores was relatively empty. For a moment Koji considered his options, then turned to face his brother. He looked like he was going to say something, but was cut off by a shout from across the street.

"Hey! We caught you!" Koichi noticeably started at the sound of Orimoto Izumi's voice, his head jerking in her direction. She had one hand cupped around her mouth while the other waved excitedly in the air above her head. A set of simple golden bracelets slid to her elbow and jingled faintly as she moved. Her hair was held out of her face by a single, jeweled butterfly and her white pants glowed orange in the sodium lamplight. A quarter-sleeved lilac shirt proudly framed her figure, displaying a significant amount of chest and belly skin.

Most of the people around her looked a little annoyed with her flamboyance, but she didn't look like she cared too much. Her boyfriend seemed oblivious as well, but then again, Kanabara Takuya rarely had the good sense to be embarrassed about anything. He was sporting kaki pants, a red T-shirt, a decorative pair of goggles, and a huge grin. His arm was hooked around Izumi's waist in a gesture of possessive affection and, as his eyes found the twins, a brown-gloved hand acknowledged their presence. The two seemed to make people slightly uncomfortable with their open displays of fondness, but neither noticed nor cared. With a flip of her golden hair and Takuya in tow, Izumi jogged across the street towards them.

"Hey," greeted Koichi as they got closer, his face softening. "It's nice to run into you guys."

"Likewise," said Takuya. He looked like he was going to go on, but Izumi beat him to the conversation starter.

"What's with the scowls? Are you two fighting again," she asked lightly.

"We weren't fighting," said Koji with a distinctly defensive edge, narrowing his eyes in annoyance.

"Please, I could spot that dark cloud from a mile away."

"Tch."

"Do you wanna share or should we guess?"

Koichi's smile faded just a little and he looked at Koji uncertainly. Izumi nodded knowingly, pursing her lips, but Takuya didn't quite get the hint.

"So," he prodded playfully. "What's it this time?"

"Takuya, if it's private we shouldn't-"

"Koichi let slip to our dad that I got a 78% on my history exam over dinner last night."

Izumi and Koichi both winced as if physically injured by the news. Takuya looked unsure as to what the tragedy was, but sort of smiled sympathetically.

"Ah… yeah, that would be bad," he mumbled awkwardly.

"I didn't mean to it just came out," sighed Koichi, sounding like this was the thirtieth time he'd said it.

"I know and that's what makes it so annoying. If I don't tell people things it's usually because I want to keep it a secret. But you find out anyway, so what's the point? You're gonna know one way or the other, so I guess I should just give up on secrets."

"I knew it," sighed Koichi, looking defeated. "I knew it; you're still mad."

"Koichi, is there anyway you can, you know…" tried Izumi, taking Takuya's hand and looking like she might be regretting bringing it up.

"Not read Koji's mind?" Izumi's lips tightened over some comment or another. Koichi noticed and sighed in frustration, looking dejectedly at the pavement. "I am trying. And it _has_ gotten better, but sometimes I still…"

"What are you guys doing here any way," said Koji suddenly, taking his hands out of his pockets and readjusting his ponytail. There was a bitter battle with the high school, but in the end he'd been allowed to keep his long hair on the condition that it stay tied up. "You both live on the other side of Shibuya."

"Come on! Do we really need to be scheming something to run into you," teased Takuya, wiggling his fingers ominously.

"Yes," answered Koji shortly.

"Well," said Izumi, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Truth be told, the five year anniversary of our trip to the Digital World is passing us by and Takuya and I, at least, wanted to celebrate."

"'Course, it won't be all of us, what with Junpei at university and Tomoki doing that summer exchange program, but we figured four out of six wasn't too bad."

"Uh-huh," said Koji with raised eyebrows. He pulled out his cell phone, noted the time, and turned and started walking again. But his mannerisms were more relaxed and, as he shot them an expectant look, the others quickly fell in step behind him. "So you want to have a little celebratory get together and couldn't invite us over the phone because…"

"We'd miss the chance to experience your charming personality firsthand," said Takuya in relief. Koji was never quite what you'd call 'easy-going,' but he did have his lighter moments. For now, he seemed to have moved past brooding about his family life, which was always a good thing. "Besides, it's not that much harder than calling you; Koichi's been picking up groceries here every Friday after school for the past three years. Hate to break it to you, but you're kinda predictable."

"We all have our habits," laughed Koichi as they wove deeper into the residential. "It's just convenient for us to pick some things up for Mom on our way back. She works late tonight, you know."

"Yes, well, it's convenient for _us_ to catch you while your out. So, what do you think?"

"About?"

"Having dinner or something. I can cook a surprise Italian dish that you've never had before." Izumi trotted up to Koji's side, leaning forward expectantly. Koji rolled his eyes and kept walking.

"Although I usually avoid spending unnecessary time with the goggle-head," he started.

"Hey!"

"I'm always up for Italian, 'specially if you're cooking."

"That's great!"

 _There he is…_

Koichi stopped suddenly, causing Takuya to bump into him. His smile had faded and he looked a little pale.

"Hey man, what gives?"

"I'm sorry, I-" he said slowly, frowning at the ground. "I just… I got a chill…"

As he spoke goose bumps visibly erected on the exposed portions of his arms and a tremor shot through his body. He felt heavy and stiff, like he'd just walked into a portion of air that was somehow significantly more viscous… or like he'd been doused with a bucket of ice water. His free hand moved up to his mouth and he breathed slowly through his nose, still staring at the sidewalk.

 _You there… Please…_

"Are you all right, Koichi," asked Izumi, pausing. There was concern in her voice, but uncertainty on her face. Even now, five years later, she wasn't quite sure how to deal with the Chosen of Darkness's… oddities. Whether she should leave him alone when these things happened or try to help. Whether she could help at all. It could get really awkward with Koichi for that reason

"He's fine," cut in Koji. "He gets these sometimes." His tone had regained its unsympathetic frost and he didn't bother to look over his shoulder. For the first couple years he had. He'd stressed and worried and hovered every time Koichi'd gotten a chill or a headache or suddenly become nauseous. Then it just got old. There was nothing he could do to help anyway, and besides, these little episodes tended to coincide with spikes in Koichi's ESP ability. Which translated to Koichi was extra sensitive to Koji's thoughts and frankly that made him uncomfortable. They both knew it.

"Please don't worry about me," said Koichi, meeting Izumi's gaze and forcing a smile. "Koji's right, there's nothing to be concerned about. I just need a minute."

"Do you want us to wait for you," offered Takuya, hand hovering over Koichi's back in case it needed a pat or two. "It's already dark."

"Oh, no, I'm fine," insisted Koichi, brushing him off and nodding reassuringly. "You guys go on ahead; I'll catch up in a bit."

"Alright…" said Takuya skeptically, jogging up to Izumi.

He slid one hand around her waist and the two threw sympathetic grins back at Koichi. Koji did not. The dark twin gave them a false smile, waving them on until they looked forward once more. Then, smile fading, he turned his attention to the calling.


	3. Needles in the Night II

As soon as all three backs were turned genuine confusion worked its way into Koichi's features. Slowly, the fingers that had been hovering over his lips slid to his neck. The flesh there felt clammy, his pulse racing just under the surface. There was a weird feeling in his stomach that wasn't nausea or anything remotely like he'd ever felt before… maybe a tension? His breath was shallow and his head hurt. Reality bent as the backs of his friends sped away from him and he found his eyes drawn instead into the darkness to his left. It was nothing special, just a small alley, a pitch-black crevice between apartment blocks, yet it seemed to yawn out at him.

 _Come… Come here please… Please help… We need you…_

Koichi's body began to move half against his will, drawing him into the shadows. There was an ominous feeling to the city walls and unusually dark section between them, but he didn't stop. Something was pulling him, like a moth to the flame, and even though it felt really strange, Koichi couldn't think of a good reason not to go. Through the fog in his mind he recognized someone was calling.

"Hello," he asked tentatively as his eyes ad gusted to the dark. "Is someone here?"

 _Yes… Yes, we're here… Come closer… Come help us…_

"Anyone?"

"I'm here," answered another voice. It was small and high, like a frightened animal. "Down here… please, I can't get up."

His gaze fell to the ground and, almost instantly, he spotted a figure slumped against the wall. It looked like a young man around 22, though he couldn't make out any features, wrapped in a blanket. His eyes looked like dark holes in his face, glazed over and completely non-reflective, his dry lips parted slightly.

"Please," he begged softly. "I can't move…"

Koichi dropped to one knee, setting down the grocery bag and reaching for the man's shoulders. The weird feeling in his stomach tightened and something like a buzzing started in his mind as he got closer, but he was too concerned to pay either much attention.

"My friends have cell phones," he said gently. "I'll go get help."

"No," hissed the man, gritting his teeth. "Don't leave... You can't go…"

"Alright." Koichi licked his lips, uncertain. "Alright, I won't leave. Do you think you can walk? Where does it hurt?"

The man's lips moved, but Koichi didn't catch what he said. There was something about the smile that was blooming across his face, the oppressive shadows in the alley, that made Koichi feel nervous. Still, he couldn't just abandon someone in need, no matter how odd that someone might be. Uncertainly, he leaned in closer, bringing his ear to the man's mouth.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I said she was right; This is going to be simple."

In a flash, the man threw off his blanket and grabbed Koichi by the back of the head, pressing something like a mask over his nose and mouth. Koichi inhaled sharply in surprise and a sweet-smelling gas filled his lungs. His muscles suddenly felt weak and his weight fell against the man, his mind hazing. The man laughed and stood up, bringing Koichi with him. He squirmed, but his fingers were made of rubber and his body felt miles behind his brain. With practiced skill the man batted Koichi's hands away from the mask, grabbing both wrists and holding them in an unyielding brace.

"Don't worry, it's only sevoflurane," he said in a low voice. "Medical quality; we'd never do anything to hurt you, you're far to precious to us… Or should I say, to the master. It wants you back Kimura Koichi, and to make that happen, I need something from you."

He slid a strap over Koichi's head, securing the gas mask and canister into place. Another man materialized out of the shadows and the first handed Koichi off to him, busying himself with the contents of a duffle bag.

"Hold his head forward," said the first, pulling on a pair of surgical gloves. "And get the hair off the back of his neck; I have to go in through the foramen magnum and we can't afford to do anything wrong. We mustn't damage the boy in the slightest, do you understand?"

The other man nodded silently, wrapping one muscular arm around Koichi's waist to hold him up. His other hand ran up the back of Koichis neck, catching the hair that formed a protective layer there, as he pushed his chin towards his chest. Koichi's eyes fell closed and he offered up no resistance. His mind was swimming in and out of coherent thought, grasping at a single idea with fading urgency.

 **Koji** he thought as the first man wiped something cold and wet across the base of his skull. **Koji!** Something sharp was pressing against the skin along his hairline, angled so as to follow the spinal chord into the brain.

"Are you sure you can do this," asked the second man nervously. "There's not a lot of room for shaky hands."

"The master gives us all different gifts," replied the first, repositioning the needle on the back of Koichi's neck. "She enhanced your strength, didn't she? I'm going to enter the cisterna magnum to remove a sample of cerebrospinal fluid from the subarachnoid cavity, and I know _exactly_ how to do it. Just hold him still and this will all be over soon."

The needle broke skin and hot blood swelled to the surface. He could feel the metal pushing deeper, slowly advancing on its goal, and what was left of his rationality deteriorated into sheer terror.

 **KOJI!**

"Get away from him!" Koji skidded around the corner with Takuya and Izumi not far behind and stared down the alley in shock. The first man hissed in frustration, withdrawing the needle and backing away.

"Don't interfere, Chosen of Light," he spat, his voice saturated with loathing. "This does not concern you."

"What the hell are you doing to my brother?" Koji's voice was not loud, but it cut through the darkness as if he'd shouted. Both he and Takuya looked poised to attack, but restrained themselves. A bead of blood reached capacity and ran down Koichi's jaw line, clinging to his chin. The first man smiled cruelly, brushing the second's hand off of Koichi's head and removing the gas mask. There was a loud hissing sound as he closed the canister, which made Izumi flinch.

"Perhaps he's your brother now," taunted the first man, lifting a duffle bag and slipping the mask and canister inside. "But soon he'll reawaken to his true self, and then brother or not, this world and all others will be covered in Darkness! It's always been inevitable!"

The second man looked to the first, then back at Koji. His eyes had the same dull black color and his gaze was utterly soulless. He readjusted Koichi's limp body in his arms, preparing for something. Koji's jaw tightened as his fingernails dug crescents into his palms.

 **Koichi** he tried timidly, unsure of whether or not it would work. **Koichi, can you hear me? Can you get away?** Koichi's head twitched slightly, but he made no other indication that he'd heard. His breaths were deep and slow, his eyes closed as if sleeping.

"Put the kid down before someone gets hurt," said a new voice from the other end of the alley. Every set of eyes peered into the darkness looking for its source, but to no avail. The shadows concealed him as he spoke. "A suboccipital puncture in a back alley, are you insane? Are you trying to kill him? And here I was thinking your master needed that one."

"Kimura Koichi is coming with us," said the second man in a ragged voice that was almost a growl.

"I don't think so."

"And what, pray tell, makes you-" A bright light cut him off and both men screamed in pain, their hands flying up to protect their eyes. Koichi fell to the ground with a dull thud and a groan, his eyes fluttering for a moment. The light advanced until it was just behind the two men, then sidestepped them and turned around, leaving the other end of the alley open.

"Why don't you crawl back to your master now," the new voice said in disgust. "Tell It the Digidestined won't be so easily defeated. Tell It It'll have to work harder for Its prize this time."

The first man elbowed the second in the ribs and together, they turned and fled. Before anyone could react Koji lurched forward, pushing past their rescuer and scooping up his brother. Koichi offered up little more than a low moan to protest the sudden movement, his head rolling against Koji's chest.

 **You came** Koji heard in his head. **Koji I… I feel… really strange…**

"Koichi," squeaked Izumi as she practically threw herself down next to them, fishing out a handkerchief from her back pocket and slipping it between Koji's arms to the back of his twin's neck. She could feel the warm wetness of blood through the cloth and it made her stomach churn. "I-What just happened?"

"I think that's a question best suited to the new guy there," growled Koji, his gaze sliding to the dark figure. "He seems to know a lot about who those bastards were."

Without the light in their eyes, it became apparent that this boy, if that was the right term given his apparent age of at least 19, was not Japanese. He had dark brown hair the color of black coffee, which framed his face in short, gentle waves, and his eyes were the most intense shade of deep sky-blue. He had a very pretty face, so much so that if he'd grown his hair longer he might have been mistaken for a girl, with defined cheekbones, arching eyebrows, and a sharp chin. Even in his black slacks and button-up grey shirt, black leather jacket left artfully zipped up to about his navel, he looked slightly androgynous. Maybe it was the white scarf… When he spoke his voice was low and smooth, but cold and unfeeling, like silk in the winter. The slightest hint of a French accent was silver trimming. He rolled his eyes, setting the high-powered flashlight he'd used so effectively down onto the pavement and pulling something out of his coat pocket. Wordlessly, he held up a powder blue and silver device with a small, blank screen.

"Is that a D-Tector," breathed Takuya in astonishment. "But, how did you-"

"It's a Digivice," corrected the pretty boy. "It means I'm Digidestined, like you guys. And if that's not obvious enough for you, it means I've helped save the Digital World."

Koji opened his mouth to say something offensive, but the sensation of something touching his shirt stopped him. Koichi's fingers had found the fabric and were grasping at it weakly, his eyes trying to open.

 **Stay still** thought Koji, staring down at his twin and willing him to understand.

 **My body… I have to… I can't forget, but... They were talking. Words I didn't understand… Sevoflu… Ceribro… It doesn't hurt, but it should… Can't… Move… I have to move.**

His thoughts were jumbled, even chaotic, and though his body seemed to be coming out of the anesthesia, his mind wasn't quite as fast on the uptake. **It's all right now** Koji projected as soothingly as he could. Koichi was super sensitive to drugs, ever since his near-death incident in the Digital World, and there was never a good way to gauge what his reaction might be.

"Is he all right," asked Izumi, picking up on their communication.

"It's like listening to static," Koji said, shaking his head. "He knows what they were doing to him, but he doesn't understand why. And it's fading fast. There's no telling what he'll remember when he wakes up…"

"It doesn't matter," sighed the blue-eyed boy, looking annoyed. "I know what they're after."

"And just how would you know that! Who the hell are you, anyway?" Takuya's tone hovered between confusion and anger, a frown creasing his brow.

"My name is Dorian Lespion," the new boy said, giving them all a patronizing look. "And I think we can discuss this further after we get that one," his eyes flickered disdainfully to Koichi. "To a more sanitary location. Unless you want that little puncture to go septic."

"Koichi's apartment isn't too far away, right," mumbled Izumi, her gaze fluttering wildly between Koji and his twin. Koji nodded, situating his brother on his back and picking him up. Koichi let out a small noise of protest, but he possessed neither the will nor the strength to put up any kind of a fight. His head lulled into the younger twin's neck, his arms dangling limply over his Koji's shoulders.

"I have a key," growled Koji. His words were meant for Izumi, but his gaze had refocused on Dorian. "You have a lot of explaining to do, _foreigner_. I am grateful for your help, but don't think for a second that that means I trust you." Koji's stare was a blatant threat, a dare for him to try something. Dorian met it coolly, his disinterest equally blatant. Any competition for who could look less intimidated by the other would have resulted in a tie, which, under different circumstances, would've been funny.

"Oh don't worry," replied Dorian, his smile not reaching his eyes. "I have no expectation or aspirations for your trust. It's only your cooperation I'm interested in." He brushed by the twins to where the would-be kidnappers had stashed their bag, squatting down to investigate the blanket. "After all," he said in an ironic voice, picking up a small object and slipping it into his pocket. "It turns out that we have a common enemy."

Koji, Izumi, and Takuya regarded him suspiciously as he stood up.

"What enemy," Takuya asked after a long stalemate.

"You three are familiar with a dark entity that went by 'Duskmon,' right?"

* * *

 **Content: Needles, attempted assault and kidnap, drugging**


	4. Our World Our Rules I

The first thing Koichi was truly aware of was not _his_ body, but his brother's. He felt legs walking and hands twisted awkwardly, supporting something on his back. Something heavy. Wrists strained painfully and sweat made flesh damp and itchy. His lungs hurt, but he refused to alter his breathing. He wasn't going to drop his twin… he wouldn't let him fall again. This time he'd protect him… save him from the blackness which hunted his soul. And if that meant he had to carry him to the ends of the earth, then so be it.

That was when Koichi pulled back, suddenly reminded of his own existence. He was the one being carried, the limp hunk of meat that weighed so much. There wasn't much sensation in it, but he had a body. His mind knew he couldn't see because his eyes were closed and he couldn't move because he'd been drugged, but panic crept into his heart nonetheless. Paralysis isn't a pleasant feeling; it's not like the floating of unconsciousness. Paralysis is being smothered by your own uselessness… a feeling with which Koichi was already too familiar. Koji's mind reached out to his, sensing his sudden absence and distress. A tenderness few knew existed tickled the edge of his thoughts and Koichi felt his mouth smile into his brother's shoulder.

 **Sorry I'm so heavy** he thought jokingly. **I'll try to wake up now. So you won't have to carry me anymore.**

Uncertain amusement.

* * *

Almost seconds after Takuya opened the apartment, Izumi had the sitting pillows set up in the living area and Koji was gently lowering his twin onto them, propping him up against the wall. The two had silently agreed that they wanted Koichi where they could watch him and, although his room would be more ideal, they did _not_ want the entire gang crowding in there. During this invasion of their lives, something had to be kept sacred. Dorian either didn't find anything particularly irregular about the set up or just didn't care. Takuya was too focused on Dorian to notice much of anything else and Koichi…

Koichi'd regained some form of consciousness during the walk to his place, but the full range of human expression still escaped him. He'd stopped projecting into Koji's head, which was a welcome change, but keeping his thoughts to himself seemed to be taking up the little energy he had. His eyes had a glazed quality to them and his body was still floppy as a dead fish. There was awareness and frustrated effort in the way he leaned his head back against the wall and surveyed the room, yet to say he was alert would have been a lie. All and all, the anesthetic had really done a number on him.

"Are you comfortable," asked Izumi kindly, hovering as Koji tugged a blanket over Koichi's legs. "Would you like some tea?"

Koichi's eyes moved to her face, his pupils dilating as they tried to focus. "No," he breathed with a faint smile. "Thank you."

"All right," returned Izumi, looking just a little put out. "Let me know if you change your mind."

He nodded and his gaze shifted to Dorian. There was something that might have been curiosity on his face, though if truth be told, it was difficult for him to determine what about this stranger struck him as odd through the haze in his head. Its presence was obviously a source of uncertainty and… resentment to his friends. From what Koichi could read from Koji, this foreigner was somehow involved in what had just happened in the alley, but beyond that he knew nothing. There was something about him, though; a coldness Koichi didn't like. He didn't feel well enough to experience anxiety, but still…

"Who are you," he asked slowly, deliberately. The words rasped in his throat and he closed his eyes for a moment, licking his lips and focusing. "Why are you here?"

"It lives," commented Dorian sarcastically, casually pulling out a chair at the kitchen table and sitting down. "What a relief."

"Answer the question," growled Koji, settling into a battle-ready squat on the floor next to his brother. Izumi kneeled maybe a meter away, near the boarder between the entryway and living area, delicately tucking her feet off to one side. Takuya leaned on the wall next to Izumi, folding his arms and frowning in an irregularly suspicious manner. Dorian looked at the four of them putting on such a brave, united front, and smirked.

"Well, since you asked so nicely," he mocked.

"We're serious," said Takuya. "This may all somehow be funny to you, but our friend was just attacked and none of us are in a joking mood. You're obviously involved, so cut the crap."

"I told you," said Dorian, leaning back calmly. "I'm Digidestined. My friends and I went to the Digital World, fought evil, and saved it. Just like you."

"That doesn't explain how you knew those guys would be there or how you knew they were sensitive to light. Or what you're even doing here to begin with!"

"Japan tends to be the epicenter of Digital activity. More so than France, at any rate. Maybe I'm on a pilgrimage and just stumbled upon you. Helped out of a sense of comradory."

"We may be younger than you, but we're not stupid," said Izumi unapologetically. Her green eyes were hard as jade as she evaluated him, looking for anything that would justify this innate distrust that was in her gut. Something about this guy, maybe his too convenient appearance, just rubbed her the wrong way. Or maybe she was just upset that he'd been able to rescue Koichi while she'd been so helpless. Maybe he was actually a nice guy and they all just resented him for doing what they couldn't… though his flippant attitude was not helping that case.

"As you've already stated, we've been through the same things you have with the Digital World-"

"Don't," he snapped, his voice subliming cold rage. The smile was gone from his face and he looked like he might slap her. "You have no idea what we went through. There were six of you, right? And you fought with the Spirits of the Ten Legendary Warriors? Well, there were only three of us: myself, Ysault, and Bahar. Loyalty, Charity, and Justice. And we didn't have the same luxuries you were afforded. We were in our final year of high school when we received the call. Maybe there were supposed to be more, but they just didn't answer. I don't know how it is here, but missing any school or leaving for any reason during that last leg before university is very difficult in France. We didn't know the flow of time had changed and= spent the whole trip terrified for our lives and our futures, wishing we'd ever left home yet honor bound to stay. Not to mention the losses we sustained in the Digital World. All three of us regretted it, at one time or another. It was not _fun_ for us."

There was a very tight silence like thin ice as the two Digidestined stared each other down.

"Where are they now," Izumi retorted. "Your friends? Bahar and Ysault? Why aren't _they_ here?"

For the first time, Dorian looked genuinely amused. But it was in a sad, nostalgic kind of way, his gaze falling to the floor for a moment.

"Whose to say they aren't?" He stiffened suddenly, remembering his purpose and replace the casually critical mask. "Anyway, as I understand it, your task was to put the fallen angel Lucemon back in his pit. Well, lets just say ours was to clean up your mess."

" _Our_ mess," repeated Koji humorously. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"More specifically," continued Dorian, pretending no one else had spoken. " **His** mess. The taint he left behind in the Digital World. And the good news is we cleaned it out of the data-scape. The bad news is…"

His cold blue eyes slid fluidly to Koichi, and rested there until everyone else had done the same. The sudden attention did not go unnoticed and the dark twin frowned, blinking away the fog in his mind. He'd listened and understood Dorian's words, but it wasn't until he met that hauntingly blue gaze that he started to comprehend what he was saying. Why two creeps had just tried to shove a needle into his brain and why this Frenchman had shown up just in time to stop them. Somehow, discontinuous and random as it seemed, everything, what happened five years ago and what was happening now, was connected. There was only one mess to which Dorian could be referring. Koichi tried to sit up, but a wave of nausea pushed him back against the wall and shortened his breath.

"Duskmon," he hissed, closing his eyes and pursing his lips as if in physical pain. "Duskmon is here? In the real world?

"Duskmon," snapped Koji, rounding on Dorian. "That's not possible. We destroyed him."

"No, it's not Duskmon. Not without _that one_ , at any rate. But what's left of him _is_ _ **here**_ , in the general Tokyo area. You didn't destroy anything, that's just the fact of the matter. In the Digital World, nothing really dies; it just gets recycled and reformed, darkness included. The evil there has manifested many times in many ways and each time it gets too powerful, a group of humans is recruited to beat it back. The world becomes a slice of paradise for a while, then the evil returns and it starts all over again. That's the cycle. It's a cycle because historically the evil doesn't learn from or even remember its previous incarnations. It's just a force, like the moon's pull on the tides. It was never conscious."

"So what, somehow Duskmon changed that?" Izumi was never one for hiding her emotions and her tone expressed the frustrated confusion they were all feeling and then some. Dorian crossed his legs and laced his fingers, patronizing them.

"When you left the Digital World, you Digivices turned back into cell phones, releasing everything that was stored inside into the soup-like reserves of unrepresented data. That included all the corruption you'd purified from the Digimon you fought… the corruption that created Duskmon. This was problematic because, unlike all the previous disembodied evil, what was left of Duskmon had a consciousness. Turns out the total hybridization of a partial Digimon (i.e. the Spirit of Darkness) and a human soul creates a new breed of energy that is aware of its own existence. Aware of its own… incompleteness. Five years of our time corresponds to millennia in the Digital World and now that little baby consciousness that controlled your Chosen of Darkness like a puppet has grown up into something much more sinister. Something with a goal and the power to accomplish it.

"The forces in the Digital World didn't know the difference, so when it started acting up, they called in a group of humans like always to restore balance. Things didn't work out like that, and now it's here."

There was a long moment during which they tried to process what he was saying, but weren't quite able to put the pieces together. Dorian's mouth curved in a skin-deep smile and he seemed almost amused by their uncertain silence. Like a vindictive teacher who, instead of alleviating his student's ignorance, preferred to taunting them with it.

"So you're saying there's some digital entity, that's not a Digimon, actively surviving in the real world. Were you planning on telling us how that could possibly happened, or are we just supposed to assume it was by magic," said Koichi in one of his rare moments of terseness. Usually he tried to be a little more diplomatic, but under the circumstances he didn't see much of a reason to put in the effort. A look of annoyance came onto Dorian's face and there was another moment while he shifted leisurely in Koichi's chair. Asserting his control over the situation.

"Fine, I'll spell it out for you. We can think genetics or neurobiology or whatever, but the fact of the matter is modern science doesn't know what we are. Sure, there are traits and stimulated regions of the brain, but what makes you you and me me, what makes up our _self_ , isn't fully understood. The best we can do right now is that individual personalities and thoughts are the product of electrochemical signals. _We_ are electrochemical energy, which at its most fundamental level isn't that different from data on a computer… And computer data can be transmitted wirelessly."

"I'm a little foggy on what exactly you're trying to say."

"You guys have had basic physics, right? E-fields, B-fields, electromagnetic waves?"

"Yes," said Takuya shortly, not looking at him. "We've had basic physics."

"Then you should know what I mean when I talk about wireless data transfer. Electrical energy is transformed into a wave of some kind, travels from origin to destination barring any barriers, and is then transformed back into electrical energy. There's no reason memories or a personality shouldn't work the same way. Just think about it like this: The human consciousness is a signal and the brain acts as both the transmitter and receiver."

"No reason except everything we know about the brain," scoffed Koji. "It's a real organ with real functions and real constrains, not a cell tower. What you're suggesting is science fiction."

"Says the kid who spent how many months of his life in a world composed entirely of computer data periodically transforming into a "Digital Monster" to save the program?"

"Can we _please_ get back to how this relates to Duskmon," said Izumi, placing her elbow on her bent legs and pressing one finger to her temple.

"I told you, it's not Duskmon without the original host." He shot a pointed look at Koichi, who tactfully ignored it. "It's not anything, just a will that hops from body to body. We've been calling it Tache- 'Taint.' We could never kill it in the Digital World because, no matter what we did to the host, even if we just let Tache erode it from the inside out, it always found a new one. And somehow it's gotten out here into the real world and I think it's because of that "science fiction" I was talking about. It's made the leap form electrical systems to bioelectric systems and, if I know Tache, it's after one thing."


	5. Our World Our Rules II

There was a long, tight silence as everyone considered what he'd said, some with confusion and others with grim certainty. He offered no further explanation, just stared them all down with a coldness that could rival Koji. Finally, with a pained groan, Koichi pushed himself off the wall. His head fell forward into his open palms and he shivered, curling his fingers in his hair. He looked like he was going to be sick.

"It's me, isn't it," he said coolly. There was a forced relaxation in his body that somehow made the situation even more tense. "That's why this is happening. You're saying he wants me, right?"

Dorian's mouth twisted in a cruel mockery of a smile. "I guess you'd know it better than me. What with being Its creator and all."

"That's enough," snapped Koji.

"No, it's not," he spat back, his gaze never leaving Koichi. "Why do you think I came here? You think I wanted to work with you? Please, this isn't about the fellowship of Digidestined; you guys are going to do nothing but slow me down. The fact of the matter is that when your Chosen of Darkness here died, his soul or whatever merged with the Spirit of Darkness on a level that nobody had even thought possible and that caused a fracture in the way Digimon relate to humanity.

" _His_ hatred merged with the corruption of the Spirit and created a new entity, a new intelligence that endured your cycle's purification and the next and the next and absorbed more and more of the Digital World's evil at each step until it was concentrated enough to hop worlds as well as bodies. What may have started as a spat between siblings has grown to encompass the entirety of human depravity and now it's decided it wants to be whole again. You're right, it wants its body back and God help us if it manages to get it! So do _not_ lecture me about what is and isn't enough. You have _no idea_ what's at stake here- hell, you don't even know what we're up against."

"You think we're incompetent, don't you," muttered Takuya resentfully. He pushed off the wall and advanced on Dorian. "You think we should have know this was going to happen, that somehow we should have known Duskmon and Lowemon weren't like the other Digimon, and prevented him from evolving like he did. Why don't you just come out and say it; you blame us for what's happened and you plan on using Koichi as bait!"

"Bait," laughed Dorian, flipping hair out of his eyes. "That would imply we have some measure of control over the situation, which is fundamentally untrue. It doesn't matter what we do or don't do, if we dangle your Chosen of Darkness on a line or lock him away in the safest place imaginable, Tache wants him. That means Tache will get him, if he has to attack a million times in a million ways. Today's little adventure should have proven that to you."

"Then why are you here," said Izumi in a strained voice, looking like she wanted to slap him but, through sheer force of will, held herself in check. "If it's so hopeless, then why are you here! Why did you help us back in that alley!"

There was the sound of someone chuckling softly, the usually pleasant noise slashing through the room like sand on the wind. Koichi's shoulders shook as he laughed, his eyes still buried in his hands, his smile wide and almost manic.

"Isn't it obvious," he said mirthlessly. "If the human brain was as open a system as the Digital World, then he'd already be in me. He would have just possessed me in that alley way and been done with it. But that's not how it works, is it Dorian? That's why they needed a sample of my cerebrospinal fluid.

"In the Digital World he was like a virus, infecting everything, spreading from Digimon to Digimon as if they were cells. And killing an infected cell doesn't get rid of the virus. But here, in the Human World, the laws are different. Here he's just another parasite and all you have to do is wait until he's inside me. Watch the host, watch the parasite. Kill the host, kill the parasite, right?"

Koji shot to his feet, abandoning his brother's side and advancing on Dorian, but Dorian held up his hands in a calming gesture, smiling coolly.

"I won't deny that that's part of it; however, I'm not quite as heartless as you seem to think." His tone was patronizing, but his words were sincere. His gaze settled on Koichi and he spoke candidly. "Letting Tach have you, then killing you may be the easiest way to solve the problem. Based on what I've seen so far, your _friends_ don't seem particularly well equipped to protect you anyway."

Izumi leapt up, putting a restraining hand on Koji's shoulder and shooting Takuya a reproachful look. Both boys had gone taught with indignant anger and looked ready to rip Dorian limb from limb. She had half a mind to let them, repeating over and over that this French ass would probably be helpful in the long run. Dorian's grin widened as his eyes swept the room.

"But keeping Tache out of you would be an equally effective solution. In my experience, Tache's bodies only last for so long before the darkness erodes them to nothing. Keep it in the same body for long enough and it'll kill itself."

"What's to say he-Tache, won't just keep switching bodies when they start to… break down," asked Izumi, still holding onto Koji.

"Tache exists in our world as energy- as a signal, and signals degrade. It's like any transfer in a 'real' system, you loose some in the process. It's in our world, so it has to play by our rules. Assuming it doesn't get into a stabilizing host, eventually there won't be enough of Tache left to body hop. And the only stabilizing host is the mind that created it. Which we have. Right here. In our possession."

"He's not a thing," hissed Koji. His gaze was on fire, his fists clenched. "He's a person and his name is Kimura Koichi. And he's my brother, so you should really start treating him like one."

"Look, I did my research. I know that the Chosen of Darkness is your twin brother and you 'saved' him from the Spirits of Darkness and he gave up what was left of his life for you, yada, yada. But if you want to protect him now, then you- all of you, need to accept the fact that, for our purposes, he's just a signal receiver. Like an antenna specially designed to accept and amplify anything on Tache's wavelength. At the core, that's what dying in the Digital World did to him. That's what his… _abilities_ are.

"Surely you guys have noticed that he knows what your feeling. That sometimes your thoughts overshadow him with out you even trying. And you're all just background noise he picks up because you're close to him. Imagine what would happen if something was actively attempting to take over. If he can't keep you, his friends, out of his head, what chance does he stand against Tache? It's not his fault, but he can't control what suggestions or even personalities are projected onto his consciousness. And his mind is going to recognize anything from Tache as 'self-thoughts' the way the immune system recognizes self-cells because Tache _came from him_."

"I'm right here," growled Koichi in an uncharacteristically annoyed tone. All eyes turned to him as he lifted his head to glare back. "Don't talk about me as if I'm not."

Koichi rolled back his shoulders and turned his body, his face betraying only a small portion of his anger. Actually, in that moment, he looked a lot like Koji. So much so that both Takuya and Izumi stole a glance ant the twin of light, looking for signs that he might be overshadowing his brother. Koichi's eyes narrowed as he stood up. His skin was pale and damp with sweat, but his face was set in rigid determination.

"Don't treat me as if I'm not in control. I am myself. _Me_. Yes, sometimes Koji's really loud inside my head and **yes** , sometimes things slip through. And I'm not going to pretend like I don't know Duskmon's out there calling to me; I felt him pull me into that alley earlier today, _I know_ there's something inside me he still has a hold on."

Izumi's hand instinctively shot to her mouth, as if trying to catch the squeak of unease that threatened to burst from her throat. Koji's jaw, if possible, tightened, his teeth almost audibly grinding against each other. Dorian continued to look unimpressed and unfazed, though there was a spark in his cold blue eyes that was impossible to characterize. Koichi took note of everything before continuing.

"But that's something I can ignore and I won't be fooled a second time! I'm no one's puppet!"

"That's all very well and good," said Dorian, playing with his white scarf. "But clearly it's already started to influence your behavior. And this thing's controlled you before. How can you be so sure it won't again? How can you guarantee it won't lure you back?"

" _I was 12,"_ Koichi retorted tersely. His expression was a mixture of indignation, anger, and genuine hurt. "I was 12 and terrified and vulnerable and _**dead**_. Yes, it was stupid to accept the Spirit, but I didn't actually have much of a choice in the matter. I did need to be saved, from Cherubimon, but more importantly, I needed to be saved from myself. I made a horrible, world-shattering mistake; I admit that. I wasn't strong enough to resist him then… But I'm not that naïve little boy anymore. And if you think _**for one second**_ that I'm just going to stand by and let Duskmon take over again, let him hurt _my brother_ and _my friends_ again, then that's just a testament to how little you know about me."

His entire body was trembling and he continued to pale as he spoke, looking more and more like he was going to either collapse or vomit. Koji wanted desperately to stabilize him, to push him back to the floor or at least reach out and hold him up. However, the waves of pride emanating from his twin held him at bay. It hurt, and his body would regret it later, but Koichi was going to do this on his own. He was always stronger than any of them gave him credit for. Dorian looked at him, his expression unreadable. Then, with a sigh, he got up, pushing the chair back under the table and readjusting his scarf and jacket.

"It's late and I have another appointment to keep," he said casually. He moved towards the door, opened it, then paused. Another sigh slid through his nostrils and he turned back, fishing around in his pocket and pulled out a little black box.

"Here, this is the cell phone I found in the alley. With any luck we can use it to track those men, see how involved they were with Tache, that sort of thing. Since you all obviously don't trust me yet, I'll leave it with you. As a token of good faith. We can strategize tomorrow afternoon, when you're all out of school. Saturday's are half-days, right?"

He tossed it to Koji and then turned to leave again.

" **Hey** ," growled Koichi, balling his fists and staring at him through his bangs.

"Don't be so dramatic," Dorian chided, rolling his eyes and glancing back over his shoulder. "I have no doubt you're going to fight it, maybe even with everything you've got. And I'm sure you **believe** you can do this on your own, but the truth is that ultimately you're going to loose and then the world will be over. Which would be fine with me except that I made a promise to someone very important. A promise I refuse to break. So like it or not, you're stuck with me. Sorry if that hurts your feelings."

And then he was gone. Koichi's balance wavered and he leaned back against the wall for support, releasing the breath he'd been holding. His fingertips pressed against the cool paint with such force they went white, and it was clear that every fiber of his body just wanted to collapse into a useless heap, yet still he refused to let it. Koji made a move towards him, but Koichi held him back with a hard look.

"I'm sorry," he said in a low, deliberate voice. "I didn't mean to cause you all so much trouble."

"You don't have to be sorry, Koichi," chastised Izumi, moving over to Takuya and taking his hand. "This isn't your fault. It's not anybody's fault, just part of being Digidestined, I guess."

"Yeah buddy," Takuya added, his voice returning to its usually bright tenor now that Dorian was gone. "Don't listen to that Dorian jerk, everything's gonna be fine. I mean, we beat Duskmon once, right? We can do it again, no problem!"

"But we didn't beat Duskmon before," whispered Koichi, allowing his eyes to close. "It was arrogant of us to think we had. It was naïve of me to think I'd ever really be free of him…" He shook his head, his lips twisting into a faint, ironic smile. "I guess even after everything Cherubimon told me, all the twisted lies he made me believe, a part of me still thought finding Koji would solve everything."

"It did," said Koji firmly, ignoring the earlier glare and stepping forward, grabbing his shoulders. His twin shuddered under his touch, refusing to look at him. "You're not alone this time, Koichi. I'm not going to let what happened then happen now."

"None of us are," added Izumi. There was a flat note in her voice; his apparent lack of confidence in them hurt her. "We'll call Junpei and Tomoki in the morning and-"

"I'd prefer you didn't," Koichi cut in, staring at the ground. "Please, don't misunderstand; I appreciate you all, your friendship and your support, but I don't want any of you involved. I don't want Duskmon to harm you ever again, do you understand? You three are already here and I know there's nothing I can do or say that would make you leave, but I can still protect Junpei and Tomoki. If they knew what was happening, I know they'd both _want_ to come help me. They'd want to drop whatever they're doing and take the first plane back but _they can't_. Neither of them has the resources to return right now and telling them Duskmon's back would only be torture."

He licked his lips slowly, focusing very hard on standing up. Koji could feel his brother grow less stable with every passing minute like nails in his mind. He tried to reach out with his thoughts, prop up his brother that way, but the mental hand was smacked away.

"Dorian's right, this is my mess and I would rather clean it up on my own," said Koichi sharply. "I know I can't ask any of you to let me do that, but please don't involve the others. I can only take so many people worrying about me."

Reluctantly, Koji nodded, lifting his hands off of Koichi's shoulders and turning to Izumi and Takuya. The former looked severely deflated, the expressed desire to reject her help hitting her harder than any actual rejection could, and the latter looked thoroughly confused. Koji understood their feelings better than he understood his brothers. Truth be told, none of them could really empathize with Koichi's position or his request. They'd all done things they weren't proud of, created monsters, but their demons didn't hunt them the way Koichi's did. They'd all been able to accept that "evil" part of themselves in a way Koichi never could. Yet they were all still Koichi's friends and, comprehensible or no, that made his problems their problems.

"We should call it a night," said Koji after a long pause. Problems had to be dealt with in order of decreasing urgency. Right now, Koichi's biggest problem was that he was going to pass out. They all knew it. "Our mom's gonna be home soon and it would be great if you guys could not be here. She definitely doesn't need anything else to worry about and the lack of Koichi's 'welcome home' tea and dinner is going to be suspicious enough."

"I can-"

"No," Koji cut his brother off. "I can make dinner. It's nowhere near as good as yours, but I can actually cook. _You're_ going to bed and _you two_ are going to head home. I have a feeling we're digging ourselves into a very deep pit and it would be better to keep this all a secret, especially from our families. We can meet up at the usual place tomorrow: the park by Shibuya station. Dorian can just figure out where we are."

Takuya and Koji exchanged looks and, with a single nod, Takuya turned to leave, dragging Izumi with him.

"Come on," he said lightly. "Koji's got a point; I need to get you home before your dad calls the police on me for kidnapping."

"But," protested Izumi, looking back at Koichi. He met her gaze tiredly, offering a small smile.

"I'll be fine."


	6. Nightmares in a Cyberscape I

Friday and Saturday nights the twins spent at their mothers. Yes, on Fridays she had to work late, so they rarely saw her then, but when school let out on Saturday and they returned to the little apartment she was usually waiting just behind the door. They'd change out of their school uniforms and, barring bad weather, go for a short walk around the nearby park. Next was a stop at Grandma's grave, where they offered prayers and incense. Koji had never met her, yet of the three he tended to be the most insistent about this part of the ritual. Even as telepathy strained his and Koichi's relationship, there was never a second when he regretted meeting him. And that encounter, bizarre as it had been, was the direct result of Grandma's dying words. Hence he never missed a chance to thank her. The boys were expected at their dad's on Sunday night dinner, but before she turned them loose into the world, Tomoko always made sure each had something sweet for later.

After ten years spent apart, Koji treasured every instant of free time he got with his biological mother. Yet that very next day he was going to forsake their routine, abandon his mother in favor of some French guy he'd hardly even met, and go hunting. Why? Because that thing that could never happen, that dark fear which had always hidden in the back of his heart, the impossible nightmare, had spilled into reality. There had only ever been one thing Koji couldn't help, one thing from which he couldn't protect his twin, and that thing was back. Duskmon was back, and he-It, whatever, wanted to posses Koichi again. But this time things would be different. This time, Koji was going to keep his brother safe. Whatever the cost, whatever it took, history wasn't going to repeat itself.

It hurt him to miss their weekend family time. It pained him to know that, sooner than either of them wanted, those moments would feel like the faded dream of kinder days. It was going to be like pulling teeth to look his mother in the face and tell her he had more important things to do. But that was the price, harsh as it was. If Duskmon really was out in the real world, and he was already gathering humans to help him, then he'd surely begun twisting more than Koichi's mind. By now, he was twisting the very fabric of their fates. Koichi wasn't the only one at risk; if things went the way they did in the Digital World, then quite literally the entire planet was in danger. Stopping Duskmon had to be their primary goal- their only concern. Whatever it takes. And if it took his sacred time with their mother, then so be it.

"You're being quiet."

Koji started at the soft sound of his brother's voice, his gaze jerking towards its origin. The dark twin was only a meter or so away, pulling out another futon from the closet in his room and laying it along side one that was already on the floor. Setting up their usual sleeping arrangement like any other Friday night as if nothing unusual had happened that day. At Satomi's insistence, and despite his protests, their dad had converted the second floor office into Koichi's bedroom. It was right next to Koji's and, those first couple years after they got back from the Digital World, the twins used to tap messages through the walls in the dead of night. Here, at their mother's, there was no space for such things. So instead Tomoko moved into the room that had been her mother's and the twins shared the room where she and Koichi had slept. Initially, they'd actually found this set up more appealing than the two beds at their dad's. Koji had liked having Koichi right next to him and Koichi had enjoyed being there, as if it stirred some distant sentiment of sharing a crib. Then the telepathic connection started getting stronger and… The walls helped Koji sleep most nights.

"I'm just thinking," he replied apathetically, shrugging his shoulders. He did, however, push the two futons closer together with his foot, causing Koichi to give him a pleasantly surprised look. Tonight, Koji wanted his brother as close as possible, even if he wasn't willing to say it.

"About," probed Koichi. He knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it. He wanted… he wasn't sure… conformation? Koji was silent for a moment, choosing his words. With a sigh through his nose, he pulled the cell phone Dorian had handed him out of his pocket and stared at it meaningfully.

"I was thinking," he tried slowly, pursing his lips. "I was thinking what a shame it was that we wouldn't get to spend time with our mother tomorrow." Even now, he tried not to call her 'Mom,' for Satomi's sake.

"Is that all?"

Again, Koji paused. It was a loaded question, a trap, and they both knew it. The light twin moved over to Koichi's desk and set the attacker's cell phone on the surface deliberately. He shot Koichi a piercing look, scrutinizing him as he made up the futons with pillows and blankets from the closet, his fingers resting on the phone's black screen. Koichi didn't meet his gaze, choosing instead to work diligently on the set up. His head still felt a little woozy and he would be very glad to rest it a little more.

"I just want to make sure you're not worrying about me," he said casually, tucking the pillows artfully under the blankets and paying extra attention to the way the corners matched up. "Because I'm fine. Really."

"Nii-san," Koji whispered, almost pointedly. Koichi froze where he kneeled, as if Koji had said something cruel to him. His hands hovered over the blankets, then balled in to little fists which he quickly tried to conceal in his lap.

"I know I'm not supposed to," he started, his tone low and broken. "And I didn't mean to or even want to, but I sensed the doubt back there. When I said I was strong enough to fight off Duskmon I felt everyone's disbelief like a cold fog. They don't think I can do this, Lespion especially. I know they don't mean to, but still, my own friend's think I'm going to just fall back into that evil first chance I get and I-"

He broke off, shaking his head. Koji gave his brother a hard stare, his face an unreadable mask. Yet when he spoke, his voice was soft and warm and simple.

"What do you think," he asked softly. Koichi's jaw visibly tightened and he shot his brother a defensive look.

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it," he said with a little more venom than he'd intended. The expression on Koji's face diffused him and he relaxed his shoulders, tilting his head. "I can't afford to not to mean it. I just…" He swallowed, his eyes falling to the cell phone before he looked away. "Don't enjoy feeling like everyone's just waiting for me to fail."

Koji frowned sadly, wanting to comfort his brother but unsure how. Tentatively, he reached out with his feelings, trying to project them onto Koichi's mind the way he sometimes couldn't help but do. There was a tickle of responsiveness, then with a twinge of annoyance he was thrown out. It was slightly unexpected, causing Koji's frown to deepen. Koichi pretended not to notice, so, with a nod of acceptance, Koji tried another tactic.

"When we were going into our final battle with Cherubimon," he started. "I was terrified. I didn't want anyone to know, but I was so afraid I wouldn't be strong enough to beat him. That I was going to fail and my only friends, you, the entire Digital World would have to pay for my weakness. I tried to hide that fear behind a cocky grin and a brave front, but even back then you always seemed to know. You looked at me like I was the only living soul in the world and you said "I believe in you, brother." No good luck or smart comment, just that."

"I remember," Koichi said, smiling slightly. "It was a silly, corny thing to say. In retrospect you probably would have preferred a wittier send off."

"I believed you." Koji's voice held a strained, almost pleading note. He took two long steps and kneeled by his brother's side, placing a hand on his shoulder. It wasn't much, but Koichi jumped nonetheless, staring at his twin in confusion. "When you said you believed in me, then I started to believe in me too. If you thought I was brave, then it must've been true. If you said I was strong enough to defeat Cherubimon, then I was. Simple as that."

"I'm sure it wasn't _that_ simple," whispered Koichi with a weak smile.

"Yes it was," said Koji firmly, giving Koichi's shoulder a squeeze. "Even when things looked really bad, even when it felt like they were going to legitimately kill me, I knew you believed in me and I kept fighting. Nii-san, I _won_ that fight because you believed I would."

There was something Koji couldn't quite read on his twin's face, some pain he couldn't quite understand.

"I won't let him take me," Koichi breathed in a low voice, staring intently at his brother. "I won't become _that_. Not again. _Never_ again."

"I know," Koji responded without a trace of doubt. "If you say Duskmon's not coming back, then I believe you. Doesn't matter what anybody else thinks."

The two sat there for a single, magical moment. One of those rare instances of pure understanding. Pure harmony. Then the absolute cheesiness of it all began to set in and an embarrassed grin twisted Koji's lips. His gaze fell to the floor and he nodded as if in resignation. Koichi, never quite as socially conscious as his twin, turned his head and blinked in mild confusion. Such dramatics didn't bother him and he could never understand what all the fuss was about.

"Sorry," Koji apologized sheepishly, removing his hand from his brother's shoulder. Neither of them knew if he was apologizing to Koichi or himself.

"No," said the dark twin softly, giving his first truly genuine smile of the night. "No, I- Thank you." Then, before the silence got awkward, he added: "I'm sorry you got pushed around by a Frenchman."

Koji looked up indignantly and was about to protest, but stopped when he saw the teasing look in his brother's eyes. Grinning, he instead elected to throw a pillow at his older brother, nailing him in the chest.

"Just go to sleep already."


	7. Nightmares in a Cyberscape II

Koichi woke up in a large stone chair with no memory of what he was doing or how he got there. More like a throne, really; it had a high, arching back and majestically carved arms, both of which seemed to cup him like something precious. Chains encircled the stone, coiling like serpents around his body and the throne indiscriminately. Loosely binding him in place. It occurred to him that there was no light, yet somehow he could still make out the gleam of the metal against the dull red of rock. Sand stone. As he moved the surface of the throne sloughed off and the chains clanked from far away. The world was a black-grey mass like a frozen pond, cold and completely stagnate. And there was something… else in it.

 _Kimura Koichi… So, you've finally come. You sensed me, didn't you. I've been waiting for you… Koichi._

He stiffened, eyes sweeping the room quickly. Something about this place-something about this situation, made him nervous. It struck him as rather odd to be chained to a chair in a dark area, yet for some reason, he couldn't understand why. Why was it odd to feel the heavy links weigh down his body and restrict his movements? Why did it make him feel so uncomfortable to hear that voice?

 _Hmm, why indeed_ , the voice responded, as if to his thoughts. _You were never afraid before. It was only when your will was absolutely subordinate to another that you found contentment. You used to be so comfortable here, Koichi. Away from reason, away from feeling, away from control… This was your sanctuary._

"My sanctuary," Koichi repeated vaguely. His mind felt foggy as ground glass, but his insides continued to twist with growing unease. He didn't like this voice and he didn't like this place. "I don't think so."

 _No, it was. You escaped your sorrow here, abandoned the pathetic meaninglessness of your old existence. Here, the darkness soothed your heart and taught you strength. You turned you pain into a powerful weapon and swept through the shadows in a terrible reaping. You were so close…_

"I don't remember that," he said, shifting. His body scrapped against the sand stone, releasing granules in tiny streams down his back. "I don't remember anything remotely like that. I have no idea what you're even talking about!"

 _Then let me help you…_

Something that felt like fingers hooked lightly on his shoulders and he started into action. His body pitched forward, ready to strain against the chains that bound him. But they gave away easily, sliding into slack coils around his ankles. Koichi tripped, catching himself with his hands and scrambling back to his feet. It was his first instinct to run but, seeing as there was literally nowhere to go, he turned around instead, facing the throne. Fear made his breath shallow.

The throne had grown an additional pair of arms… human arms. Composed of shadows and mist, they reached towards him from the curved back of the chair as if through a portal. Above them, a head pushed through and black lips curved upwards in a mockery of a gentle smile. It leaned towards him, exposing a decidedly female figure made entirely of what he could only describe as darkness. There was no hair, there was no face besides the mouth, and there were no eyes, yet he could feel it looking at him. Sandstone disintegrated as it- she, pulled herself free, collapsing into a pile of red dust and steel links. She stepped forward, moving her hands as if to brush residue from her chest and hips. Her smile was unwavering.

"Why are you running away," she asked in a voice distorted by low frequency noise. Koichi felt it in his mind more than he heard it. A single hand reached towards his face, too far away to actually touch him but curving as if to grasp flesh. "You're not afraid, are you?" She snorted in amusement. "No, of course you're afraid. I can smell it on you like perfume. Fear, anguish, wrath... You used to always ware this scent and so it became my favorite."

She laughed and it sent shivers down his spine.

"Who are you…" Koichi frowned because that was the wrong question. " _What_ are you? How do you know me?"

"I could say I am you," she replied, circling him slowly. Koichi moved with her, turning and sidestepping so she stayed directly across from him at all times. As far away as possible. Slowly, the two switched places. "But we both know that's not true. Well, not entirely true. Not for a very long time."

"I don't understand," Koichi said, as exasperated as he was confused. "I don't understand any of what's happening."

"Don't you?" she stopped and the area that should have been her face turned towards him. Her chin dropped and she seemed to be contemplating something, though that was hard to say with any certainty.

"Look around, Koichi. Do you know where we are?"

"No," he replied flatly, staring back towards the figure with as much intensity as he could muster.

"Look harder…"

A hissing sound came from the pile of sand behind him and he glanced over his shoulder in time to see it drain into the ground. Like an hourglass…

There was a sudden jerking force and the grey world fractured, crumbling and falling away as if someone had cracked reality's shell. Its innards seethed purple and green and black as green light flooded his vision. There was a groaning noise and Koichi looked down as cracks spread under his feet, eroding the platform on which he stood. He sucked in air to scream, but the sudden lack of anything beneath him caught his throat. The earth swallowed him up and he fell into nothing... but didn't. There was the sensation of falling, but he didn't move. His body oriented as if he was still standing, but that was the wrong word. He floated in the emptiness as images and sounds drifted by like ghosts and the purple-green gut churned around him. This place he did remember. All too well.

"This isn't possible," whispered Koichi, looking around. "It's not… I was… I was just going to sleep, I can't be…"

The black figure… giggled. Laughed at his sudden terror in pure ecstasy. Her head rolled back for a moment as if intoxicated.

"I knew you'd recognize it if you looked," she cooed softly. "This world between worlds. This limbo. I was born here and, between manifestations, it was here that I slept."

"This isn't real," insisted Koichi, trying vainly to move back. "I'm asleep and this is all just a dream."

"You're right, you are asleep," affirmed the figure, advancing on him. Her legs worked as if she was walking, but something about the way she moved lent itself more to drifting. "And this is a dream."

"Then it's not real."

"Two out of three's not bad, though I doubt anyone else would approve of that score. This is _very_ real… _I_ am _very_ real."

"No," Koichi breathed, shaking his head in child-like denial. "Dreams can't be real. And if my dream's not real, then you're not real."

Her tone became suddenly cold and sharp, like an ice sickle weighted to the breaking point.

"Do not delude yourself into thinking dreams are private. That they are somehow sacred or that they can't be violated. This is a dream, but it is **my dream, not yours**. Perhaps you've forgotten and lived a happy life, but I never could! I could never forgive and I could never move on; the hollowness of my own existence was too great.

"Many times I tried to engulf the Digital World and many times I was thwarted by humans like you and yet so infinitely different from you. And each time they sent me back to the abyss I grew stronger- more certain. More determined. I had to become whole and to do that, I needed you. I had to _have_ you, Koichi; I had to possess you once more.

"So I've come for you. I've broken the laws of the universe and I shall continue to break them until I achieve my goal. Until I control your heart again. I brought you here so you would understand that. **I brought you here!** "

She was definitely smiling now, a gash in her face wide and curved like the crescent moon. Koichi's heart froze, his gut went taught, his mouth dry. For a moment time stopped as the thing he feared most, the thing that made too much sense and yet none at all, slipped unbidden between his lips.

"Duskmon."

"So you do remember me! I'm so happy."

"How could I forget," Koichi spat with contempt. "You're the monster that tore apart the Dark Continent. You tried to kill my brother!"

" _You_ tried to kill your brother, dear friend," she corrected, wagging a finger at him as if to scold a child. "I may be a monster, but I'm _your_ monster. I came form _your_ soul. Anyway, that's all beside the point. I'm not your enemy and I didn't mean to upset you…too much. I just hoped we could talk a little before it starts. It's been _so long_ after all. Hundreds of thousands of years, from my perspective. You may remember time passes much more quickly in the Digital World."

"Before it starts…" repeated Koichi slowly, his pupils dilating as she closed in, bringing her shadow body mere centimeters from his. "You mean before you start trying to take over my body."

"Your body, your mind, your soul," she said calmly, running one finger down his chest. "Everything that you are. But you shouldn't look so angry; I only want what's rightfully mine, Koichi." Her fingertips hovered underneath his left collarbone, pressing against his shirt as if she intended to tear right through it.

"You understand. Because somewhere in here-" Her fist phased inside his chest, her fingers curling around his heart and squeezing. His eyes widened in horror as he let out a yell of agony. Both hands shot up, encircling her wrist but to no avail. Her other arm curved around his waist, pulling him closer so she could whisper into his ear: "You've always wanted the same thing."

"No," he coughed raggedly, reaching out to steady himself against one of her shoulders.

"Sooner or later you'll admit it. And then you'll come to me. One way or another, Koichi, you'll come to me. Because I'm the only one who can fill this hole in your heart. I'm the only thing that can make you complete."


	8. Nightmares in a Cyberscape III

At precisely 1:17 in the morning, Koji was pulled from the arms of sleep by the sounds of ragged breathing and moaning. Typically, he was a light sleeper anyway, and on nights like this, when he was already a little on edge, the smallest creak was enough to fling him into full-fledged consciousness. As you might imagine, the distressed noised emitting from his twin's sleeping form were somewhat louder than floorboard creeks and Koichi wasn't more than two second into the nightmare before Koji knew about it.

At first, the Chosen of Light did his best to just ignore the sounds. Koichi was prone to vivid and… expressive dreams. Given the right provocation, gentle mumbling could easily turn into outright conversation. Koji had once made the mistake of asking him if he was all right, and consequently endured a good five-minute lecture on the aliens' plans to invade Kyoto by poisoning the wasabi supply with Scottish blueberries. Very specific. As fascinating as that had been, it wasn't an experience Koji really wanted to repeat. Especially when his nerves and patience were already frayed. He did not feel up to one of his twin's nightmares at the moment.

To be blunt, Koji didn't have the energy to worry about his brother any more. With the amount of worrying he'd already done that night, it was a miracle Koji'd fallen asleep in the first place. Their talk had done wonders to comfort Koichi, and he'd drifted off as soon as his head hit the pillow. Or maybe it was the anesthesia…. Whatever the case, Koji was not so lucky. The serenity of sleep had been hard won on his part; but now as he lay awake once again, all those fears that he'd managed to forget flooded back, heedless of his attempts to dodge them. Images of those people holding his brother, the gas mask over his nose and mouth, the needle pressing into the base of his skull…

Koji buried his face into the blankets, trying to block out Koichi's distress both past and present. Trying to focus on his homework or the chores he'd left undone at their dad's. Trying to keep his very conscious mind from returning to the terror it had been dancing around all night.

What was it that guy had said? "Soon he'll reawaken to his true self"? The hell was that supposed to mean? And then there was all that crap Lespion had been talking about. About his brother being some kind of cell tower or something. Like his brain was a computer and Duskmon was just going to download himself like a piece of software? How was he supposed to protect his brother from something like that? How was any of this even possible!

 _Oh, the same way it was possible for you to travel to the Digital World in the first place,_ breathed a voice in his mind matter-of-factly. _And for the record, protecting him has always been a simpler task than you've cared to acknowledge. No, it's not that you can't protect Koichi, it's that you don't want to. It's too much work, so you just let it happen_. _Like earlier._ _You could have waited. You could have looked back and notice he'd gone. But no, you were angry with him about something stupid and you let him get caught._

"Don't think about it," Koji whispered into the cloth. "Stop thinking about it." The voice paid him no mind and continued its rant, the stillness of the night feeding his bleakest thoughts.

 _Just like before, five years ago. He needed your protection then, too. But you were too busy being angry with Dad and Satomi to notice you had a stalker, let alone a brother. Maybe if you weren't so self-centered he would have stood a chance against Cherubimon, then none of this would've ever become a problem. You could have just been two, happy, normal brothers dealing with happy, normal, brotherly problems. Too bad things didn't work out that way. You lost him then and, if you're not careful, you're going to loose him now._

The moaning, which usually only lasted maybe a minute or two at best, did not die down. Koichi's breathing only got more ragged as Koji tried not to notice and he began thrashing, like he was trying to run away from something. His foot managed to free itself from the blankets and shot out across the futons, striking Koji just behind the knee. Koji bit back a yelp as pain shot up his leg, now about as awake as a person could get. There was officially no hope of going back to sleep. Exasperated, Koji rounded on his brothers sleeping form.

"Koichi," he hissed, trying to communicate as much quiet annoyance as possible. "Koichi, wake…" His voice trailed off as his eyes found something even more aggravating. The cell phone Dorian had retrieved from Koichi's attackers was flashing over on the desk. Its screen kept lighting up as if receiving a call, though no ring tone had sounded as of yet. Gingerly, Koji crawled off his futon and went to investigate. The screen was filled with some kind of binary code Koji didn't recognize and, as he slid it open, a new set of ones and zeros popped up. Behind him, Koichi let out a small cry, causing Koji to start. In the light of the open phone, Koichi's skin shone paler than normal, a thin layer of sweat wetting his face and hair as his breath rattled over his lips. Then something occurred to Koji, something that made his skin crawl and his chest tighten.

"… _He's just a signal receiver. Like an antenna specially designed to accept and amplify anything on Tache's wavelength."_

Cell phones are essentially the same thing, constantly receiving and transmitting signals from here or there. Like little way stations between origin and destination. Like little, unnoticeable spies sent to infiltrate their home. The strength left Koji's fingers and the phone struck the carpeted floor with a dull thud.

"Koichi," whispered Koji, throwing himself at the older twin's side and grabbing his shoulders. "Koichi, you need to wake up! Koichi!" Each syllable was accented with a firm shake as Koji tried to forcibly haul his brother back into the world.

Koichi's back suddenly arched and he sucked in breath as if to scream. His eyes shot open, but not in wakefulness, and what Koji saw in them made his blood run cold. The irises and pupil had gone a dull, homogenous grey that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it, like two endless pits of overcast sky. Koji recognized those eyes from those first flashes of his brother's face, from when Koichi was fully possessed by Duskmon. They were they eyes of the corrupted Spirit of Darkness and, as he watched, the tiny, spider web capillaries became inflamed, turning the whites of those eyes red. Koichi sat up like a puppet on strings, dark liquid shining in his ears and, in that instant, Koji remembered what it felt like to be truly afraid. He felt Koichi's horror and Duskmon's thrill like screams in his head, screams he couldn't help recoiling from.

Then there was a short, electrical noise and a spark as the cell phone short-circuited, plunging the room back into darkness. For a moment, the two sat still, as if frozen in time by forces beyond their understanding. Then Koichi blinked and his eyes were just blood-shot navy. Soft and kind and still caught in the terror of his dream… if you could call it that. He stared straight ahead, holding his breath and keeping his body still as a mouse. The tightness of a prey animal laced his form, outlining it against the black.

"Koichi," Koji tried tentatively, leaning towards him. Koichi started and turned, inhaling sharply as if preparing to run. The dark liquid in his ears dislodged and two shining drops began to roll slowly down either side of his neck, but he didn't notice. For a moment there was a look of non-recognition on his face, as if he didn't understand what Koji was doing in his room. Then wakefulness finally took hold and he smiled faintly, shaking his head.

"What a nightmare," he whispered lightly, readjusting on the futon and pressing one palm to his forehead. "I'm sorry, was I talking in my sleep again?" There was nothing about him to betray any misdirection, but Koji sensed it anyway.

The younger twin frowned, reaching out slowly but deliberately to his brother. His fingers brushed the wet streak on Koichi's neck, causing the latter to jerk away convulsively, shuddering.

"What are you-" He fell off suddenly, his gaze finding Koji's fingers then flicking back to his face fearfully. Koji looked back at him meaningfully, rubbing the blood between his pointer and thumb as if to test the consistency. There was something in his gaze Koichi didn't understand: worry, fear, and… disappointment.

"It was him, wasn't it," Koji said in a low voice.

"No," Koichi hissed defensively. Koji's expression didn't change even as a firmness came into his voice.

"It was Duskmon." Koichi gave him a defiant stare; yet as the seconds ticked by his mask began to crack.

"I thought-" The elder twin's lips pursed together and he shook his head in disbelief. He stared at the blood on Koji's fingertips, black in the darkness, as his own reached up to trace the wet path from his left ear. "I thought he'd leave me alone for at least a night. I thought, if I could just sleep, then I could get away from him just for a little while. Prepare myself. But he was _there_ , Koji. _It was waiting for me_."

He pressed both palms over his ears and pulled his knees to his chest, squeezing his eyes shut. "My head…" Koichi moaned in a low voice. "My head really hurts…"

Koji reached out hesitantly, unsure of what he was supposed to do or how to go about doing it. There was something foreboding, something irrefutably bleak about Koichi's silhouette. Balled up like a psychotic hiding from imaginary monsters or a child trying to ward off the shadows. The darkness seemed to encircle him tenderly, though whether it was to lend comfort or assert control was anybody's guess. Yet even now, broken and alone, Koichi did not allow himself to be swallowed.

But he wasn't alone. A look of determination came into Koji's eyes and in one swift motion, he wrapped his arms around his brother, holding him close.

"It's alright," he whispered, recalling words from the time nightmares had plagued him and family's comfort had been his only strength. Imagining what their mother must've done when the infant twins had been frightened. "You're okay. It's over now."

"No it's not," murmured Koichi, his eyes wide open in Koji's shoulder. "It's just starting…"


	9. Secrets and Betrayals I

When Koichi woke the next morning, it was to sunlight and his brother's arm draped over his shoulder. As if even in sleep, Koji had felt compelled to protect his more vulnerable twin. Or at least _try_ to protect him- try to shelter him from the cruel reality which lurked just beyond his closed eyelids. There was very little a limp arm could do against the forces of darkness which hunted Koichi and they both knew it. Still, the intention was clear. Well, clear enough to make him smile a little, even as he wormed his way to freedom. It was 5:30 in the morning, a full half-hour before the twins technically had to get up for school, but Koichi'd always been an early riser and felt eager to start the day. Considering the terror of a night he'd endured, this sentiment seemed justified. Besides, even after the nights she worked late, their mother was an early riser too and there was a lot of work that needed to be done before she saw one of her boys engaging in his morning rituals. The blood stains on his neck and pillow being of primary consideration…

Koji groaned, clearly distressed by the sudden absence of warmth by his side. But this wasn't the first time Koichi'd had to wiggle his way to freedom in the mornings and a well-placed pillow always made things right in the world. Despite their often frigid 'goodnights,' there had always been and always would be a gravitation between the twins that manifested itself one way or another. When the two slept side by side at their mothers, no matter how far apart they put the futons, Koichi inevitably woke up to a much closer Koji. Of course, he never mentioned it; the slightest idea of his body moving without his conscious consent would be devastating to Koji and Koichi, for his part, liked the closeness. It reminded him of a time, now long past, when they'd been inseparable. A time when simply being twins filled the void of their destinies' and there was no greater comfort than to know the other was nearby. Now Koji seemed more content to keep a prudent distance and Koichi… could find no fault in his reasoning. So he gave him his space during the day and found secret contentment in the warmth of sleep.

Not that long ago he would have been thrilled to find his brother's arm draped over his shoulder. He would have taken great comfort in the gesture, in knowing that no matter how tense things got during the waking hours, Koji still wanted to be near him. This simple gesture meant his brother cared, a fact not often apparent from his icy disposition. Such notions, sentimental as they may be, had always made him feel safe and under normal circumstances this would've been enough lighten Koichi's mood for the rest of the day. But these were not normal circumstances…

A stiff, blood-stained portion of his collar dislodged from his skin as he moved, pulling his thoughts away from the light like a weighted chain around his ankle. Such musings were pointless; there was no protection for him, not from walls or blankets or even his sentry twin. Now there was only prudence and vigilance and attention to detail. Silent as a shadow he moved to the bathroom, avoiding all the pitfalls of creaking floorboards and squeaking hinges. When the reality of the situation greeted him in the mirror, what few thoughts of happiness that remained fell from his mind, shattering like a crystal glass on the tile.

Koichi didn't usually get a warm, fuzzy feeling from his morning bed head, but he wasn't accustomed to recoiling from it either. The face reflected in the glass this morning was another story, pale and sickly and more a canvas for the dark streaks of dried blood than a face at all. His eyes were still a little blood-shot and the hemorrhage from his ears had formed rusted clots on his skin. It was not a pleasing visage and it was most certainly not one his mother ever needed to see. The urgency of the task made it easier to focus on the work rather than its origins, to wipe away the blood without worrying about where it came from. To ignore the undeniable fact that destroying the evidence in no way diminished the crime itself.

Duskmon was back and no matter what Koichi did, there was no hiding from him. There was no escaping him. And in a secret little corner of his heart, Koichi feared there was no stopping him.

* * *

Tomoko knew her children better than either of them cared to admit. She knew their favorite colors and scents and activities. She knew their favorite foods and the ones they ate just to be polite. She knew their humors and their stressors, the silent indicators of like and dislike. And she knew the tell tale ticks of their fibbing. Which was how, when her boys entered the kitchen at 6:30 AM, she knew something was so horribly wrong, they couldn't talk to her about it. But Koichi'd gotten his mild manners and passive perspective from somewhere and it most certainly wasn't his father. So instead of pushing the matter, as most intuitive parents think best, Tomoko just smiled at the storm clouds nestled in their blue-black hair and served them their rice and miso. They'd tell her what she needed to know, if she was patient.

"Good morning Koji," she greeted the younger twin first, reaching across to pull a loose hair from his shoulder affectionately. He responded with a rare grin tinged with guilt. "Koichi. Have you had a nice week?"

"Nice enough," Koji snorted disdainfully, attacking his rice in the morose ritual that indicated the week had been significantly less than nice.

"We had a history exam this past Monday," added Koichi quickly, lifting the miso bowl to his lips.

"What on," probed Tomoko, returning to the kitchen alcove to fetch tea.

"German unification."

"Who cares about the Germans anyway," grumbled Koji into his rice, scowling.

"I'd imagine the Germans do," she teased, finally taking a seat and starting her own breakfast. Koichi chuckled lightly as Koji shot him a disapproving look. This only caused the elder twin to chuckle more, but there was a hollow, forced note in his voice. Both were clearly distressed and the history test had next to nothing to do with it. Before she could inquire further, Koichi anticipated her move and picked up the mantle of conversation.

"What about you Mother? Is everything going well?"

"Well as can be expected," she sighed, giving one of her soft yet tortured smiles. It didn't go unnoticed and even Koji put down his rice and gave her an inquisitive look. "Really, you two, you're going to give yourselves grey hair with all your worrying. I'm fine. My weeks are just so uneventful before you get here that I don't think them worthy of comment."

"If you say so…" said Koji with a shrug. The conversation seemed unusually forced and Tomoko, glancing at the clock, decided to push the matter just a little.

"Have you made plans for after school," she asked ritualistically, knowing their usual answer but anticipating a deviation. There was a short silence, which proved her right.

"Actually…" started Koji, ever the bolder twin. "We need to meet some friends after school…"

"A study group," added Koichi quickly. He knew his mother trusted them and wouldn't have asked any more, but felt compelled to add conditions nonetheless. For when their father did.

"Alright," she said blithely, sipping her tea and smiling. "Just remember to be home at a reasonable hour; I'm making tsukiyaki."

"I'm sorry Mom," said Koji suddenly, setting down his finished breakfast with a clatter and giving her an intense look. Koichi looked startled and a little unnerved by the gesture, but Tomoko just smiled. Her younger son had always found it difficult to lie.

"Koji, there's no need," she breathed, reaching across the table to stroke his cheek. He melted under her touch, his gaze suddenly expressing how truly upset he was by the whole situation. She smiled back at him, her other hand finding the older twin's arm and patting it reassuringly. It broke Tomoko's heart to see him suffer- to see both her boys suffer like this. And it killed her a little to know there was next to nothing she could do to ease their pain. But both she and their father had exiled themselves from the twins' private world long ago and she'd come to terms with that.

"You two have always kept secrets from me, ever since you were too small to speak," she said gently, her eyes shifting from one navy gaze to the other. "You've lived in your own world with your own rules, and I understand there are things about that world I can never know. I understand… there are monsters I can't help you fight and adventures you need to have without me. Now, if you need some space or some time to yourselves, just say so. You're almost grown men, you don't need to justify yourselves to me or feel badly about it. Be mindful and be safe, that's all I ask."

Koji still looked a little guilty and Koichi… well, Koichi just looked stunned. Tomoko gave them one final smile, then withdrew, taking their empty breakfast plates to the sink.

"Now hurry and finish getting ready or you'll be late to school."


	10. Secrets and Betrayals II

The Saturday half day of school went by much too fast for Koji's taste. He'd never imagined a time would come when such a thing was possible, but he desperately wanted to stay in class. He wanted to remain at his desk for hours, days even, focused on the lecture and much too absorbed in frantic note-taking to think of anything else. Too busy to contemplate the greater mysteries of life or ponder the crappiness of their situation. Certainly too preoccupied to feel badly about skipping out on his mother or to stew about how their happiness had been stolen from them. Perhaps most importantly, he wanted to keep his concentration on normal, every day sorts of concerns rather than drift off into the absurdity that was the previous night, and school was just mentally rigorous enough to allow him that. Just for a moment.

But time has an annoying way of moving at its own pace, regardless of what we might wish, and Koji found himself cleaning up the classroom before he realized it. Then he was retrieving his shoes from his locker, then he was meeting his brother at the gate. Before long they were walking down the street together in an increasingly strained silence, neither willing to shatter the illusion of mediocrity the daylight held. It wasn't until they reached the train station that Koji even acknowledged Koichi's meaningful looks, let alone allowed himself to begin contemplating the task to which they'd dedicated their afternoon. Much to his displeasure (though not his surprise), Koichi didn't share his desire to put off the inevitable. The older twin was understandably anxious, so much so that only a deep respect for his brother's space had kept him silent this long. Still, Koji couldn't bring himself to speak. His desire to ignore, to avoid the inevitable exchange he knew was about to take place, was stronger than any compassion he might've had for his twin's urgency. Frankly, whatever it was, Koji didn't want to hear it without the security of the others listening ears, a notion that was matched only by Koichi's need to keep the exchange private.

The result of this dog and pony show was something of a compromise. They arrived at the predetermined meeting place, the bridge in Yoyogi Park north of Shibuya Station (Dorian had found them once without any help; he could do it again) without exchanging so much as a word, but were the first ones to do so. It was abnormally quiet for a Saturday, only a few packs of high school girls with interlaced arms and umbrellas, tailed by some innocently suspicious looking high school boys, and a couple too constrained by the rules of society to enjoy the contact they both so obviously wanted. The splashing of geyser-like fountains in the pond was only punctured by the occasional voice, creating a spell of infinity neither twin felt ready to endure. Finally, Koji allowed his brother to voice whatever sour request he'd been restraining all day.

"What is it," he grumbled reluctantly, leaning his forearms on the bridge and staring out at the water. His face was a mask of passive disinterest, but like always there was a brightness to his eyes that betrayed his true emotions. Frustration, anxiety, but mostly fear. Weakness tucked expertly behind practiced bravado.

"Hmm," answered his twin mildly, taking up a position similar to Koji's, but leaning his back against the rail and staring up at the sky. To the casual observer, Koichi looked completely at ease, even mildly amused, content with the day, but Koji could sense the waves of near-panic come off him like heat from the blacktop.

"You've wanted to tell me something all day, so spill it." His older twin was put off, but not surprised, by the hostility in Koji's voice. He picked his next words carefully, trying to anticipate and minimize the storm they were bound to provoke.

"It's about last night." He paused, waiting for the retort. But none came. Koji continued to stare out at the pond, observing a duck bob for food with great interest and intensity. Koichi rubbed his lips together nervously. "I'd like to keep it just between us, if that's alright."

"What?" Koji straightened suddenly, giving his brother a very offended, very dangerous look, which caused a flicker of shame to cross Koichi's soul. The word was itself soft, but said with such unbridled disbelief and revulsion the older twin flinched visibly from the sound. Then, growing indignant himself, Koichi lifted his chin and took a step back, creating a void between them.

"You heard me," he said with frost, pulling his fears and pains into a reserve so deep, not even Koji could read them. This didn't bother his twin, who was currently so absorbed in his own internal storm he didn't even notice.

"Oh I heard you alright," he growled back, forcing relaxation into his muscles. "I just don't believe what I'm hearing. I just don't understand what kind of craziness would make you even think that was even an option."

"You of _all_ people should understand," Koichi hissed in an undertone, wary of the volume their argument was producing. He could feel the lava of Koji's anger, salted with fear and confusion, pulsing from him in a barely contained eruption that was surely going to cause the grass to catch fire. It pounded in his head, making him impossibly nervous- even a little nauseous. The whole thing was suddenly too much for him and he turned away, his eyes moving across the field to settle on something that made his face pale. The sight of his friends jogging towards him should not have elicited such an unpleasantly visceral reaction, but it did, and it was all Koichi could do to smile and wave back as Izumi and Takuya approached.

"Hey," the goggle-head greeted, bounding up obliviously and clapping Koichi on the shoulder. "Lookin' good! You had us kinda worried there for a bit, buddy, but looks like all you needed was a good night's rest!"

"Yeah," agreed Koichi distantly, giving him a beguine smile. "Sorry for the trouble." Takuya beamed at him, giving his shoulder a reassured squeeze. Even after all these years, the Chosen of Fire still had the innocent belief that a little friendship could solve all problems. It was one of the reasons Izumi had first found herself attracted to him, one of the reasons she'd fallen in love with him. But it also blinded him, and Izumi, ever the more intuitive one, sensed something was still horribly wrong. She slowed her approach and frowned at the glower on Koji's face.

"Is everything alright," she asked, feigning mild disinterest. Pretending it was the sort of off-hand question anyone would ask friends who'd had a rough night. Koji scowled and opened his mouth to say something, but the older twin cut him off with practiced smoothness.

"Everything's fine," he said, still smiling. "It's like Takuya said: all I needed was a good nights rest. So, do we want to talk here, or did someone arrange a different meeting place with the other man- Dorian, from last night?" It was a tactful change of subject that did not go unnoticed by either Koji or Izumi. Once again Koji opened his mouth to speak and once again, he was cut off. This time it was by a new voice, a low, silky voice with the barest trace of a French accent.

"No, no one bothered to clue me in on the secret meeting place." Dorian stepped out from behind a tree just shy of the pond's edge wearing a cold grin that suggested he'd been there for a while. Today, he was sporting white pants, a white button up shirt not quite buttoned to his neck, and a black leather belt with a silver buckle. His hair shone in the sunlight and his eyes made the clear sky appear grey and dismal. Hi white scarf hung around his neck in a single arch. Koichi flushed at the sight of him, feeling an intense, immediate ball of dislike drop into his stomach. Last night's memories were foggy at best, especially where Dorian was concerned, but Koichi definitely recalled the man. His doubts, his accusations, his barely restrained disdain. Somehow, Koichi knew that grin was for him and it made him feel very unsafe.

"How'd you get here," snapped Koji, spinning to face the Frenchman, his anger momentarily redirected.

"The train," said Dorian, examining his short, even nails in boredom. "I'm really not sure what you were expecting; the bunch of you are so unbearably predictable."

"Really. And how might you know that," asked Izumi tersely. Dorian rolled his eyes to her, raising his eyebrows and speaking as one might to an incredibly thick child. His tone was not appreciated.

"Tache's cult has been stalking you for weeks, maybe even months, and I've been following them. This is your little gang's meeting place and every idiot that visit's this park with any regularity knows it. You're hardly discrete or stealthy, so you shouldn't be so shocked when the undesirables find you."

No one was really sure how to respond to that or what to react to first. Should they feel indignation at the blatant insult, revulsion at the idea of Dorian following them around, or disturbed by the thought of Duskmon's followers being so intimately familiar with their movements. Dorian, for his part, didn't really care how they reacted and continued to speak as if discussing the weather.

"It's just as well. Obnoxious as it is, my job would be exponentially more difficult if you had any sense. As things stand, we'll just be thankful I was the only thing waiting for you today and move on." With that, Dorian turned and started walking, ignoring the confused and angry glares the other Digidestined were throwing at his back. After a few steps he paused, tossing a few words over his shoulder. "I meant that literally. This is a lovely park but it's no place for business."

"You got a better plan," scoffed Takuya skeptically.

"Based on what I've seen so far, I think I can safely say I _always_ have a better plan." A younger Takuya would've hit him and the present Takuya was seriously considering it. Koichi, recovering himself from the initial shock of their encounter, tried a different tactic.

"Where are we going?"

"Someplace safe," said Dorian offhandedly, beginning to walk again. With the enthusiasm of a cat in a clown suit, the group followed him. "Someplace private."


	11. Secrets and Betrayals III

The "safe and private place" turned out to be an apartment complex somewhere between abandoned and torn down. Some kink in the construction plan or knot in the red tape had pushed the building into limbo, which was a precarious place to be in Tokyo. Space was very limited and an apartment without residents was a crime against utility. That said, it did provide the perfect hiding spot for a group of teenagers engaged in official save-the-world business, and from the look of the room Dorian led them into, he'd been squatting there for quite some time doing just that. A crisp futon lay out in the corner (a homage to his foreign habits), cloths occupied the closet, and a trashcan filled to the brim with food packaging sat next to a modest table. There was even a row of expensive solar panels perched by the window, faces turned towards the light, wires like roots tunneling to the bulbs in the ceiling, and power strips on the ground. If it hadn't been for the lack of running water, the place might've been rather nice.

If there were refreshments of any sort, extra chairs, or anything a halfway decent host might offer his guests, Dorian made no mention of it. He selected a steel key from a bunch that had to weigh half a kilogram, unlocked the door, and settled himself in the only available seat, an arm chair by the table. The others followed him in uncertainly, assessing the room with a critical eye. While Izumi and Koji made no effort to hide their disdain, Takuya fought hard to keep the admiration from his face. He'd been expecting something lavish, something as fancy and excessive as the Palace of Versailles itself, and found himself pleasantly surprised by the disparity between his imaginings and reality. The utility of the set up impressed him; add a plasma TV, Wii, and some speakers and you'd have yourself a nice little man cave. He felt himself warm towards Dorian at the thought of it. Koichi hesitated for a long time on the threshold, regarding the interior with a special kind of suspicion reserved for obvious traps. Something about it (he couldn't quite articulate what) made him so anxious nausea rolled in his stomach. He really didn't want to go inside, didn't want to stand by Dorian's elbow and lay his heart and mind out on that tiny table. But as the moments ticked by, the expectations of everyone else won against his own better judgment and he pressed forward, closing the door softly behind him.

Dorian watched the dark twin with great interest, taking in the discrete hand as it pressed momentarily against his diaphragm, the almost imperceptible dilation of pupils as a small headache began to throb behind his eyes. Smiling a cold, knowing smile, Doran beaconed him forward, ignoring the other three as they clamored to speak.

"Welcome to my humble abode; we can speak freely here, there's no one else in the building. Now, Koichi, why don't you come over here? We weren't properly introduced last night on account of you being drugged. My name is Dorian Lespion."

"Indeed," snorted Koichi, the false honey of Dorian's words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He already knew he didn't like this guy and he definitely didn't like being patronized. "If introductions had been properly made, you would know not to call me by my first name. To you, I'm Kimura-san." All three of his friends looked at him in surprise, taken aback by the terseness in his voice. It was petty, and more than a little mean, to hold Japanese customs against the Frenchman; Koichi knew that. But he just couldn't help himself.

"Are you sure," Dorian answered, his smile never faltering. The certainty in his bright blue eyes sent cold waves through Koichi's chest. "Forgive me, I'm obviously not from Japan, but it was my understanding that the suffix _–san_ was reserved for one's elders and superiors. I am older than you, so it would be more appropriate for _you_ to call _me_ Lespion-san while I call _you_ Kimura-kun."

Koichi flushed, tilting his head towards his chest and regarding the corner to his left with sudden interest. Dorian leaned back, smug in his victory.

"Of course," he continued in a silken tone. "We could just say that we're Digidestined, which makes us all friend's here, and not stand by formalities at all. You can call me Dorian and I'll just call you Koichi."

"You are nobody's friend here," hissed Koji, annoyance seeping into his voice.

"Now I'm hurt," sighed Dorian, feigning deep sadness and pressing one hand to his chest for dramatic effect.

"Don't play games," spat Koji, hardly noticing the restraining hand Izumi had placed on his forearm. "If you have something to say, say it! Otherwise we'll just go back to the park and have our own meeting."

"That would be incredibly counterproductive on your part," said Dorian, still firmly in control of the situation. "Considering I'm the only one here who has any idea what's happening."

"He's right, Koji," interjected Takuya, stepping between them. Maybe it was the man cave, maybe it was a goodnights rest, but he didn't feel as hostile towards Dorian as he had the night before. Don't misunderstand, the guy was far from his buddies list, but that didn't make him the evil scumbag from his imaginings. Takuya found himself considering Dorian's actions from the previous night, rather than his words, and concluded that, rude or not, the guy was there to help them. "You more than anyone should want to learn more about this Tache version of Duskmon, which makes Dorian the guy to talk to. Come on, let's just chalk this up to cultural misunderstanding and move on."

"The voice of reason," Dorian said with a nod to Takuya. Koji snorted, folding his arms and setting his jaw. Koichi's flush deepened as a frown creased his features. More than ever he didn't want to be there, but with Takuya on Dorian's side and nowhere else to run, he had to admit he was stuck. Dorian gave the group an expectant look which none of the boys could decipher. Finally, Izumi let go of Koji's arm and moved towards the table. Pressing her hands to the wooden surface and forcing herself to make eye contact, she spoke directly to Dorian.

"We're sorry if we've misjudged you," she said evenly, trying very hard to keep emphasis off the word _if_. "It's been five years since we were in the Digital world and this has all caught us by surprise. We would be very grateful if you could fill us in."

Dorian's icy blue eyes softened for just a moment, as if when he looked at Izumi, he could see someone else… someone that made him sad. Then the self-assured grin was back in place and he leaned forward, resting his forearms on the tabletop and taking up a professorial stance.

"I understand last night was stressful for all of you, but I'm afraid you'll just have to get used to those sorts of events. Tache is cruel, cunning, and determined; surprise attacks are his style. In the Digital World, he used to come at us with the most unassuming hosts, even a Poyomon once."

"But Poyomon are just babies," said Koichi, looking up in surprise. "Why would he-"

"Ysault thought he was cute. Took pity on the poor lost baby and took him in. A couple nights later Tache forced the Poyomon to Digivolve into Greymon and attacked us as we slept. That was also the night we learned… that was the night we learned that destroying the host has no effect on Tache."

Koichi went pale at the implications, his eyes widening in horror. Izumi gasped, straightening and retreating back a step. Dorian continued to regard them all with a cold indifference that suggested he'd already grieved for that Poyomon… and countless others.

"Eventually we just stopped trusting. Any Digimon that didn't heed our warning to stay away, we attacked. Any Digimon that didn't flee after that, we destroyed. Some of them were Tache, but mostly they were just weak-minded. As time went by Tache got better and better at exploiting the darkness inside, corrupting Digimon with anger, pride, power… grief. Some chose to join Tache to stop the pain, others just got caught in a nightmare and never woke up. Now that he's out in the human world, I'd imagine he's doing the same thing to people."

"So… you're saying… the men from last night were…" Izumi tried, holding herself very still. Takuya moved to her side, grabbing her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. She was a strong, confident young woman that wouldn't take crap from anyone, but she also had the heart of a puppy. Cruelty like this really unnerved her, even if she didn't choose to show it. Dorian met her jade eyes and this time he wasn't smiling at all.

"Lost souls that fell prey to Tache's greed. I don't know how he's doing it, but somehow he's managed to change people the way he changed Digimon. It's always the same story: a person between 12 and 25 goes missing for a couple of days, then comes back smarter, stronger, and apparently more at peace than they've ever been."

"At peace," scoffed Koichi mirthlessly, crossing his arms. He remembered Duskmon's "peace" and it made his blood congeal to think of it spreading like an epidemic across Japan.

"Yeah, that was the term they all used," sighed Dorian with a shrug.

"Do the police know about this," asked Takuya incredulously. Another shrug.

"Sure they know about it, but what are they going to do? An unhappy teenager runs off for a couple of days, then inexplicably returns before a missing person's report can be processed with a newfound passion to be ' _their very best.'_ If there's a downside, they're not seeing it. Besides, what can _les flics_ do about it? This is our war; we should be grateful they're not involved."

"So Tache kidnaps them, messes with their minds, then sends them back into the world to do… what, exactly?" Koji's voice was guarded, his true thoughts and feelings about the matter stashed in some back cabinet of his mind, out of the way of his reason.

"Tache's goals are unoriginal: Cover the world in darkness."

"They're recruiting," clarified Koichi, his gaze fixed unblinkingly on the floor at his feet. "First the weak ones, the psychologically vulnerable, then the people close to them. Then everyone else."

"A digital invasion," said Takuya, more to himself than anyone else. He was a pretty open-minded dude, experience surprise rarely and true shock almost never. Especially after the Digital World, and the subsequent twin ESP that went on between two of his friends, everything from aliens to Sasquatch seemed perfectly plausible. This revelation stunned him.

"It's not quite that serious," reassured Dorian with a hollow laugh. "At least, not yet."

"What do you mean, 'not quite that serious,'" snapped Izumi, gripping Takuya's hand tightly, her eyes hardening. Dorian rolled his eyes at her dramatics.

"Let's go back to our technology metaphor, shall we? Think of Tache as a WiFi modem and the people in his 'cult' as computers. The signal that binds them only has so much range. No signal, no Internet, _comprennez-vous?_ Furthermore, the network has a capacity. The more people you have competing for online resources, the slower your Internet gets. Too many people can even crash a website."

"I learned that one the hard way submitting my on-line homework at the last minute," admitted Takuya sheepishly.

"So Tache can only control so many people over so much distance?"

"Yes. We don't know what that capacity or range is, but it has limits."

"Wait," said Izumi holding up a hand and frowning as if she'd just remembered something. "How does Koichi fit into all this?"

At that, Dorian's lips twisted into a frigid smile and Koichi visibly tensed, the sudden scrutiny making his skin crawl.

"WiFi modems need power. Now, it is possible to line up enough lemons and potatoes to run a modem, but there's nothing like a 100-volt alternating current to maximize performance." Koichi's stomach did a most unpleasant flip and he bit his lower lip to keep the nausea at bay.

"That's a sick metaphor," growled Koji.

"But accurate," Dorian shot back coolly. "Tache has big plans for this world and the Digital World and they all start with regaining the original host. It's not at full strength until it merges with _M. Kimura-kun_ over there. Now I'm trying to be patient with you, but you need to understand the severity of the situation. Tache knows you like your little friend knows you, and it will exploit that to the fullest. It'll capitalize on your darkest fears, come at you from where you least expect it. You are facing all the dangers of the Digital World, but this time there are no Digimon to protect you, no Spirit Evolution that'll make you stronger."

"Stop it." Koichi's voice was quiet, but the words sliced through the room like a steel blade nonetheless. "Just stop it."

"I'm only trying to explain what Tache is capable of," Dorian whispered, leaning towards Koichi across the table. "Of course, you already know, don't you. You already know what it's willing to do to get to you."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Koichi's tone was steady, but his body gave him away. He flinched at Dorian's words, shoulders hunching and fists clenching in shame and fear.

"How'd you sleep last night; you look a little tired," said Dorian quickly, changing tack. His frigid blue eyes never left Koichi's form, watching him shift and fidget with the intensity of an interrogator looking for cracks. "Did you have bad dreams?"

At that moment, Koji erupted. He pulled something out of his pocket, stepped forward, then slammed the object down in front of Dorian with enough force to shake the entire table. Izumi jumped. Takuya swore. Koichi's head snapped up so fast he made himself dizzy, horror coming onto his face as his gaze settled on the object in Koji's hand. Dorian sighed mildly and looked into Koji's face, as if to chastise him for the outburst. Koji was beyond reason.

"You bastard," he spat with more venom than a cobra bite. He took his hand off the broken cell phone and grabbed Dorian by the front of his shirt, hauling him across the tabletop. "You twisted jerk, you knew this would happen! You sent this thing home with my brother **knowing** what it would do to him!"

"Koji don't," cried Koichi, rushing forward and grabbing his twin by the shoulders in an uncoordinated attempt to dislodge him from the foreign Digidestined. Takuya released Izumi's hand and thrust himself between the two like a referee breaking up a fight.

"Knock it off," he yelled, but his pleas went unnoticed.

"If I recall correctly," Dorian grunted, trying to pry Koji's iron fingers from his collar with no success. "I sent it home with _you_. I never thought you'd be stupid enough to keep it in the same room with him, much less leave it on!"

"You forgot to mention the part where Tache can use cell phones as middle men!"

"Excuse me if I thought that was **obvious**!"

"Koichi, what are they talking about," asked Izumi in a rushed voice, the sinking feeling in her gut preventing her from joining the action. Koichi faltered in his efforts, his face tightening. Koji thrust Dorian back into his chair and shrugged Koichi off, rounding on his brother.

"Yeah, Koichi, what _are_ we talking about?" His twin recoiled as if struck, bringing up both arms defensively and retreating several steps back. Koji didn't care; he was angry at Dorian for giving them the cell phone, angry at himself for keeping the damn thing in their bedroom, angry at Koichi for lying to their friends about the result, and angry at Takuya and Izumi for being there. "I think you should be the one to explain it."

"Koji, please," reasoned Koichi in a small, fearful voice. Without meaning to, he reached out to Koji with his mind, and was blasted back by a wave of fear and rage. This gesture was not appreciated. The white-hot edge of Koji's anger went icy cold. He raised his chin defiantly and stared straight at his brother.

"Tache used that cell phone we took as a medium to contact Koichi last night."

"What," Izumi gasped, the shock palpable in her voice.

"Why didn't you tell us," asked Takuya, confusion overriding any other emotion he might have felt as he looked from one twin to the other. They sat in charged silence for a moment, both brothers battle-tight, both knowing there was only one way this conversation could go. Koji kept his expectant gaze fixed on Koichi, who returned it with one so filled with betrayal the light twin almost faltered in his resolve. Almost. Finally, Koichi let out his breath and looked to the ground.

"I didn't think it's important enough to mention," he muttered to the stillness, wrapping his arms around his torso as if cold.

"Not important enough to mention? Are you insane," Koji asked in a deadly calm voice. "Tache comes to you in a dream not six hours after some freak job tries to shove a needle into your brain, and you don't think it's important enough to mention?"

"Koji, I know it freaked you out, and I know I didn't exactly handle it as well as I could've." Koichi chanced a glance around the room, trying to gauge the humors of his friends. Not encouraged, his eyes dropped back to the ground. "But it wasn't what it looked like. It was just… He wanted to talk to me. He wanted to make sure I knew it was him, that's all."

"You were bleeding out your ears."

" _But I'm fine now_." There was a cutthroat silence, then, sighing heavily, Koichi turned to face his brother's accusatory gaze. "Really, I am."

"You know, every time you say that to me, it's a bold faced lie," said Koji humorlessly, folding his arms. "Besides, your little episode fried the cell phone. Literally melted the circuit board."

"Stop fighting you two," Izumi tried to interject, but she was ignored.

"That's not fair," Koichi shot back, his eyes wide and hurt.

"That was our only lead, what are we supposed to do now?"

"I don't know."

"This isn't getting us anywhere," said Takuya loudly. He too, was ignored.

"How are we supposed to find Tache's followers?"

"I don't know!"

"Are we just supposed to wait for them to come to us?"

" **I don't know!"**

Koichi's breath caught in sudden pain, his hands flying up to cradle his now splitting head. Above them, the lights flickered once, then continued glowing as if nothing had happened. The room fell silent as every pair of eyes fell to the dark twin. They watched him bend slightly at the waist, watched his fingers knot and unknot in his hair, watched his breath return too normal. When he finally looked up, his eyes were bloodshot and hard. He straightened, giving each of them a long, cold look.

"I can feel you," he whispered, frowning as he continued to stare. "I can feel all of you, like insects in my brain, crawling around, trying to learn everything there is to know about me. I can hear your worries buzzing in my ears and I'm not sorry for wanting them gone. I'm not sorry for wanting to keep things to myself."

With that, Koichi turned away, moving towards the door with a stiff gait. His hand hesitated on the handle for barely a second before his face hardened with resolve and he pulled it open. Not bothering to close the door behind him, Koichi exited the apartment and took off down the hallway, leaving the others in a stunned silence.

* * *

 **Content: Some language**


	12. What Binds Them I

The space between Koichi's departure and the full realization of what just happened couldn't have been more than a couple seconds. Yet the stunned stillness seemed to last a great deal longer than that to those caught in its thrall. An eternity, almost. It wasn't the fight that rattled them. It wasn't that Koji had been harsh nor that Koichi had kept secrets. These things happened all the time… weekly, if they thought about it. That was the nature of the beast, the nature of their elements. Light reveals and darkness conceals. Neither kindness nor morality factored into those behaviors, that was just what they did. Yes, the twins both had minds and intentions and a solid moral compass, but they also had instincts. And in the chaotic storm of uncertainty, it was inevitably those instincts that took the helm. For better or, in perhaps in this case, for worse, _reason_ had very little to do with it. No, it wasn't the fight that had rattled them; it was the break. For the first time in there albeit rather limited experience, Koji had gone off the rail and Koichi hadn't just taken it. Their two paragons of self-control had faltered and that, more than anything, was reason for concern.

"Nice," said Takuya, breaking the moment by blowing air through his lips and putting his hands in his pockets. "Misdirected anger much?"

"Nobody asked you," snapped Koji, his balled fists tightening by his sides. Truthfully, he agreed with Takuya, and now that Koichi was gone, was starting to feel rather ashamed of the way he'd yelled at his brother. He did understand, in his way, his twin's need for privacy. He knew what it was like to have his life, his deepest flaws and most humiliating secrets, on display. Perhaps better than anyone else ever could, he empathized with that feeling of defenselessness. Of course, there was no way in hell he'd let the goggle-head know that.

"I hate to butt in on what is clearly a family issue," said Dorian gingerly, standing up to fix his shirt. "However, we all know that one shouldn't be alone right now. Regardless of what he may think, he's vulnerable."

"Tch," scoffed Koji, not really meaning it. "Like I care. If he wants to go get himself lobotomized by Tache's henchmen, that's his problem."

Izumi's jaw clenched, her back straightening and her heart chilling. Wordlessly, she took four long steps, coming around to face Koji straight on, cocked back one hand, and slapped him across his left cheek. The light twin was taken completely off guard and stumbled back at the force of the blow. His incredulous gaze swung up to meet hers, one hand cradling his stinging flesh.

"You're a real piece of work, you know that?" Izumi gave him the harshest, most disapproving look he'd ever received and, though her voice trembled, it left no room for argument. Koji wilted under her gaze, looking away and scowling. For a moment, she considered going on, but then decided against it. If he didn't know what she meant then he'd just have to figure it out, because she certainly wasn't telling him. She gave Koji one more glare, then turned and marched towards the door.

"Zumi," asked Takuya, trying to make himself small. He'd been the object of this particular fury before and really, really didn't want to do so again. "Where are you going?"

"Where do you think I'm going," she shot back, not looking at him. "I'm going after Koichi. And when I find him I'm gonna slap him too!"

"Wait." Somehow, without appearing to move at all, Dorian was between Izumi and the door, one hand extended as if that alone could stop her. The mocking grin was gone from his lips and there was nothing about his demeanor that suggested any arguments would be tolerated. "I don't mean to cause any offense, but do you really think that's a good idea?"

"Get out of my way," she snapped, unmoved. Her cheeks were flushed and her shoulders tight, like an angry cat preparing for the kill. And the more Dorian annoyed her, the less specific she felt about _who_ that kill was going to be. He stood his ground, a frozen boulder against her raging gale.

"The more stressed that boy is, the more helpless he becomes to Tache, and right now he seems to be in the middle of a rather potent meltdown. You are very upset, and with good reason, but I think you can see how confronting him might be bad."

"Oh, and I suppose you're just the person to calm him down," scoffed Koji, staring pointedly at the wall right in front of him.

"I'm the calmest person in this building. Moreover, I'm not the direct cause of his anxieties; that honor rests solely with you, his friends. This is all clearly a personal matter and, in any other situation- well, in any other situation I wouldn't be involved in the first place. But I am involved, and ideally positions so that I don't have to care about his feelings. I have no problems keeping him in this building, by force if necessary, can you say the same?"

"He's right," Takuya interjected in a defeated voice. He maneuvered cautiously to Izumi's side, placing a calming hand on her shoulder as if with a little pressure he could balance out her passions. "We're too close to this. Dorian may not be the nicest guy around, but he's also not the one Koichi's running away from. If one of us goes after him now it'll be like we're chasing him and he'll just run faster."

"Typical," hissed Izumi, shrugging Takuya's hand off her shoulder and rounding on him. "So you're saying we should just pretend nothing's wrong, is that it?!"

"I'm saying," said Takuya in a very calm, very even voice. "That confronting him won't work. I'm saying we should give him a little space and let him come to us. Koichi's like a cat, you know? He's gotta do things his own way or he just shuts down."

Izumi snorted in disapproval, looking down at the ground. Her head jerked so fast that, for a moment, her golden hair seemed to float before settling around her shoulders. Takuya tilted his chin, trying to catch her eye, or maybe just her attention, but she skillfully avoided him, biting her lower lip. Dorian watched the exchange with keen interest and… a sort of sadness that escaped everyone's notice. His hand fell to his side and the tension went out of his shoulders, his blue eyes soft but unblinking.

"You guys really care about him, don't you?" It was a rhetorical question, which no one dignified with a response. "I remember what that was like…" he said, turning towards the door, his voice so low they might not have even caught his words. "You're going to wish you didn't."


	13. What Binds Them II

Koichi tore through the hall and down the stairs, legs propelling him with such speed he sometimes felt like he might fly off the planet all together. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking... He wanted to be off the planet. He wanted to be as far away form Tache and Koji and Dorian and everyone else as he possibly could. He wanted to get away from fear and anxiety and the constant doubt that poured from his friends like water from a fountain. He wanted to crawl into a dark hole and forget there was such a thing as friendship. Pretend, just for a moment, their opinions didn't matter.

Needles sprayed his chest with each breath and as one foot squealed on the smooth surface of some landing between floors, memories brought a bitter taste into his mouth. Koichi wanted to get away from those too, but like most things we actively try to push from our minds, a nagging voice kept bringing it to the forefront. When this all began, he'd been running. Chasing some dream down the stairs as if through desire alone he could achieve it. Then he'd fallen… The thought put lead into his limbs and ice into his heart. His lungs began to burn and his winged feet began to drag. Nausea churned in his stomach, pushing its way up his esophagus. Making his jaw ache and his vision darken. The harder he pushed, the more his body revolted, refusing to cooperate with even the simplest of tasks.

Almost without conscious consent, his gait grew sluggish, hands reaching out to steady his balance on the rail. And finally, desperate as he was to get away from it all, his legs just weren't strong enough to take him there, and his heart just didn't have the endurance to push him onward. Slowing to a jog, then to a walk, Koichi fell against a wall on the third floor landing, breathing hard. His hands stood out white as they gripped the silver railing, his sweat-dampened forehead leaning against cool drywall. Hot breath felt like sandpaper over his lips as he tried in vain to quench the burn in his gut. Pain in his head hit him like a siren's wail, quiet at first, then suddenly deafening, almost surprising. Surprising enough, at least, to distract him from controlling his stomach. Koichi's knees buckled and he retched, shuddering at the sick smacking sound the contents of his stomach made as they splattered on the tile. And the smell… His whole body contracted with such force he was sure some internal organ was coming up this time. This continued for some number of minutes, until finally, shaking violently, he managed to push back away from the wall. Scooting across the floor, his back met something solid, maybe the stairs he'd come down. Unable to summon the will to even determine what that something was, let alone continue, he pulled his knees to his chest and buried his splitting head in them, wrapping his arms around his torso.

It was stupid to run off on his own, he _knew_ that. He'd known it when the thought had first crossed his mind, known it when he opened the door. But he did it anyway. He hadn't known what _else_ to do. How he was supposed to stay in that room with Koji yelling and thoughts that didn't belong to him racing across his mind? How he was supposed to face his friends and admit that his brave declarations about being able to keep Duskmon- Tache, out of his head hadn't even lasted six hours? And he definitely didn't know how he was supposed to endure their attempts to understand. Then, in that moment the lights flickered, the answers came to him, simple: he couldn't. He'd told them he was strong enough, but under the critical glares of his friends and brother Koichi felt that strength wilt. And none of them couldn't afford for it to wilt. So yes, it _was_ stupid to run away, stupid and selfish. But he hadn't had any other choice.

Now that he was alone the feeling of foolishness set in. Sweat made his flesh clammy and his cloths stick to his body uncomfortably. Their high school uniform, black and stylish as it may be, was not designed for exercise and the stiff fabric bunched painfully under his knees. _I could go back,_ he thought to himself morosely. _Apologize for storming off. Or I could just wait here. Even if he's mad, Koji won't leave me, right?_ The voice in his mind didn't sound very convinced, and Koichi had to admit it had good reason to be skeptical. Koji wasn't just mad, he was furious, and when he got furious he lashed out. It wasn't something that happened often, but when he got into one of his snits, Koji could be really petty. And that was when his brother wasn't even the cause of his aggravation! This time, directly or indirectly, Koichi was at fault. That, too, was something he knew in his gut. What had he expected when he'd requested his brother lie to their friends? How did he think the younger twin was going to react when asked to go against his conscience? He'd known it was all too much to ask of Koji, but he'd done it anyway. In a vain attempt to save his ego, he'd done it anyway and look where it got him. Tired, sweat-slicked, and collapsed in a solitary pool of self-pity. Maybe it was the running… or the puking, but the whole thing made him feel sick.

"I hope you weren't expecting anyone else to clean that up."

The sudden voice startled Koichi, even though he didn't show it. His body felt to exhausted to jump, let alone turn to face whoever had come after him. As if he needed to; he already knew who it was, and it wasn't someone he wanted to face anyway. To be fair, Koichi wasn't in the mood to face anyone, but really, why did it have to be _him_.

"What do you want?" He'd meant the words to be harsh and hostile, but they came out just tired, the tenor of his voice made raw from stomach acid. There was a moment of silence long enough to give Koichi some hope that the intruder had given up and left him to his misery. Then came the sigh and footfalls, heavier now, resigned to whatever fate he'd decided was coming.

"You made quite the mess," said Dorian, settling himself on the steps just above Koichi and rubbing his fingertips together.

"I'm sorry my vomit offends you." He wasn't sorry; they both knew it.

"Although truly revolting, that wasn't actually the mess to which I was referring. Your friends weren't really handling this well to begin with and now, after your little outburst, I'm not convinced they will be able to-"

"Are you done," Koichi snapped.

"No."

"Go away. I want to be alone."

"None of you seem to realize the gravity of the situation-"

"I don't want you here!"

"That makes two of us!" It was the first time Koichi actually, truly, believed something that had come out of Dorian's mouth, the first time his words had held any passion. Dorian let out a low sigh, running his fingers through his hair to regain his composure. "Nevertheless, I am here. And I'll be staying here until your mess is cleaned up."

"It's not just _my_ mess."

"Yes it is. You may have those friends of yours eating out of your hand, believing that you're somehow innocent in all this. But you and I both know the truth. We both know exactly what-"

"Have you ever been dead before?" Koichi cut him off, feeling the life begin to seep back into his body. He knew better than to try and move, that would just start his head spinning again, but a verbal confrontation was starting to feel more bearable. Dorian didn't respond. Koichi pushed. "Have you?!"

"No," answered Dorian, his voice unreadable.

"It's horrible. It's dark and cold and there's nothing there but your regrets. Like some kind of test, some sort of exercise to help lost spirits find peace. By confronting them with everything they resent. And if you don't pass that test, everything that was good about you gets stripped away and you become a vengeful spirit and then… there's nothing. There's no turning back."

The silence that followed was long and heavy. Koichi could hear Dorian breathe behind him, the sound mixing with his own rushing blood until it became an overbearing cacophony in his ears. Just as he was about to brave standing up and escaping, Dorian spoke.

"I've never been dead before, but I have had that same experience."

Koichi's head snapped up and he turned in an effort to meet Dorian's gaze. The world kept spinning after his body ceased to move and his hands gripped the stair lip in a vain attempt to hold his mind still. Dorian waited patiently for the dark twin to collect himself, his face sad and pensive. As if it wasn't really Koichi he was waiting for, but someone entirely different- someone who'd braved the icy tundra of his heart and settled in a single, lonely warm place therein.

"There were three of us: Ysault, Avril, any myself. Charity, Justice, and Loyalty. And after a while… we just couldn't keep ourselves together. Avril was the first to leave, convinced of the merits of her own foolish plans and tired of my refusal to accept them. And then I went after Avril, abandoning Ysault. I wasn't worried because, through all of it, we three had our Digimon partners and nothing bad could happen to us as long as they were around. Or so I believed.

"My partner was a Gomamon- a sassy little ass. She used to tease me relentlessly. Stupid things, like how I had to be sent to another world to land myself a date or how I spent too much time on my hair. Drove me crazy, but she was always there when I needed her. Always by my side, telling me I was making a bad decision but staying behind me nevertheless. She worried about me. I never realized it at the time, but she must've been constantly sick with worry. And I'm sure she resented how I never listened to her. The irony is, while I was so apt to pick out the emotional flaws of others, the "darkness" within them that Tache could exploit, I never even entertained the thought that my own partner might be depressed. That she might be lonely...

"One morning I woke up and she was gone. Vanished into the night, just like that. I was on my own at that point, so there was no one on watch duty as I slept. No one to help me look. She'd said something the night before about the cave, said she didn't like the feel of it. She even begged me to move, to push on just a little further, but that cave was the first shelter I'd seen in miles and that night was the first sleep I'd had in days. These are just excuses, of course. Just lies I tell myself to try and lessen the blame. Gomamon going missing was my fault and what happened to her while she was gone… was also my fault.

"I found her deep in the cave, so deep that even when I tried to go back to search the surrounding desert, I couldn't find the exit. There wasn't one, of course, but I wanted to find it. I wanted to believe that what I found was a lie and she'd actually gone out to get some food or something and was waiting for me at the mouth."

Koichi's mouth was dry, a sickness gurgling once again in the pit of his stomach. But this wasn't the kind of sickness the body can expel and, the longer his navy eyes stared into those icy blue chasms, the more intense it got. Finally, swallowing his pride and fear, Koichi spoke in a small, feeble voice.

"What happened to Gomamon?"

"You know what happened. And you know what I had to do about it."

"No… No, you couldn't have…"

"There's no saving Tache's host, not matter who it is. It was the only thing to do so I did it."

Something hot burned in Koichi's eyes, blurring his vision. He could see it like it was his own memory: the cave, the dark, the black and soulless eyes. Dorian's anguish burned in his chest and he knew what came next. He knew what he needed to ask, knew what he was going to hear, but the words stuck in his throat with the tears, holding his breath. Dorian watched him struggle, his face cold and passive, his eyes gleaming with something that might've been either satisfaction or pity.

"Why do you hate me," he whispered. There was a long, unbearable pause.

"It's obvious. I went down into that darkness looking for my friend and what I found was **you** in her skin."

"I'm sorr-"

"I don't want to hear it. It doesn't matter. It doesn't change what you've done or what you're going to do. Still, I'll give you some advice, just between the two of us: don't let anyone close to you. We're already damned, you and I, but _they_ don't have to join us. Push them away. _Make_ them stop caring about you and, more importantly, force yourself to stop caring about them; that's all you can do. You've done it before. Should be easy enough to do it again."

A single tear broke free and rolled down the side of his nose. The rest went cold and dried in his eyes. His chest was hollow and… there were no words to describe the absence of feeling inside him. As if the conflicting thoughts and emotions had already battled and destroyed each other, leaving the vacuum into which Dorian's words settled like dust. Soft navy met icy blue and, in that moment, the two understood one another.

"Is that what you did," he asked, voice little more than a whisper in the stagnate air. Dorian smiled mirthlessly, leaning towards him to whisper back.

"It's what I wish I'd done."


	14. What Binds Them III

The door closed, the footsteps faded, and all too soon the three Digidestined were once again left in tangible silence. It wasn't natural, none of it. The ESP, the lights, the cell-phone spies, the fighting. This god-awful stillness that sat stagnate around them like pungent smog. Not natural. A sigh was burning in Takuya's chest, pent up tension he was not used to repressing swelling like blood from a wound. Now that Dorian was gone he'd hoped they could have a frank conversation. A _real_ conversation, one where they could honestly plan how they were going to handle this whole "Tache trying to possess Koichi" thing. You know, the kind they couldn't actually have with Koichi in the room. God, why did he have to be the clear-headed one! How did he get stuck with this job!?

Seconds ticked by like the dying heartbeats of a slain animal, gasping for one last chance at life. Maybe that was an extreme metaphor, but Takuya could definitely hear something dying in the muted space. Respect, or trust maybe? Their hard earned friendship rotting in a moment of misunderstanding? And all the while something from his science class, of all things, kept repeating in his head. Surface tension: the contractive tendency of liquids to resist external force. Images of water beading up at the tip of a faucet, trembling, gaining more and more weight yet refusing to let go. Bugs sitting on a pond face like there was a sheet of plastic stretched from bank to bank. Blood oozing out of a grass-burned knee, the red and the green clashing in some kind of horrible compliment. His own fingers probing, trying to pop that invisible force, trying to help his body push out any foreign invaders that had entered through the cut. Koji and Izumi refusing to face each other, their own emotions like sacs of liquid barely contained by the sick air around them.

And he just couldn't take it.

The sigh was growing hot in his mouth and, without fully appreciating the consequences, Takuya let it out and the tension in the room burst.

"That's it? That's all you have to say? Just a sigh," chastised Izumi, her arms folding securely across her chest. "Well, I'm glad you're satisfied with yourself."

"Like you've been handling things any better," scoffed Koji, his gaze fixed disdainfully on the table.

"Really guys," said Takuya. Not really productive conversation, but at least it was progress…

"At least I **am** handling things," Izumi shot back, ignoring Takuya and rounding on Koji. Her voice was laced with frosty accusations.

"That's rich."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"When have you _ever_ handled any of Koichi's issues? Give me one time he's even talked to you about his problems. Name one instance when you were the _slightest_ bit helpful."

"How dare you. I have always made sure he's doing all right. I have always made myself available for him, if he needs me! Can you say the same? You're his brother Koji, but have you even _tried_ to understand what he's been going through!"

"Do not lecture me about "understanding what he's going through." I'm not like you guys, I can't just go home when things get awkward. I can't go anywhere- _haven't been able_ to go anywhere for the past five years where he can't find me. **He is always in my head!** "

"Then tell me how he's feeling. Can you do that? Right now. Tell me how he's feeling."

Koji opened his mouth to reply, but instead of words only air came out. Izumi plowed over the moment, her own fury working its way to a peak.

"I may not have some hand-wavy psychic connection, but I can tell _you_ that Koichi's very alone and very afraid right now. He needs to know that his friends are behind him, that he can trust us to protect him."

"And a slap in the face is just the right way to tell him that."

Izumi had no words. Her jaw worked and her face flushed, but no matter what she tried the words just wouldn't come. Koji smirked cynically, taking bitter pleasure in his one and only victory since this whole thing had started. Seeing an opening, Takuya doves in, trying to save his friends before either one damned themselves any further.

"Will you both just chill," he snapped, an uncharacteristic coolness sharpening his authority. "Seriously, what has happened to us that I have to be the levelheaded one? Can't you see this isn't helpful?"

"And sending the least empathetic person to calm Koichi down is?" It was a cheep shot and Izumi knew it. Takuya had to bite back a retort, sighing heavily in exchange.

"Like I said before: we're too close to this. I agree, Koichi needs to know that we're on his side. And we are on his side," he shot Koji a pointed look. Then, sighing again, he made a smoothing motion with his hands as if to clear away the bad vibes. "But is there anyone here that honestly thinks chastising him is the right way to go about doing that? I don't know about you guys, but I don't take criticism well. Besides, don't you think we could use this time to strategies?"

"Oh good, here comes another plan that's sure to get us all killed."

"I am choosing to ignore that."

"This isn't a game!" Koji slammed a fist down onto the table next to the cell pone, making it and the rest of the room jump. "This isn't even like the Digital World, Takuya. We have no power, don't you get it? We're helpless."

The moment hung like a wire in the air and every second pulled it tighter and tighter as it squealed in protest. Ready to snap. A collective breath, then…

"We are _**not**_ helpless," hissed Izumi through a clenched jaw, her arms wrapping around her torso. "I _refuse_ to be helpless. I don't know what we can do, but I know it's **something**! We can't just… give up."

"Tch," scoffed Koji. His anger hung around him, directionless, waiting for a target. Takuya didn't really want to give him one, but the conversation wasn't finished.

"Izumi's right," he added, risking rejection and placing his hand on Izumi's shoulder. He felt her tense for a moment, then relax beneath his fingertips. Silently glad for his support. Koji snorted, clenching his jaw and choosing to stare at the phone rather than face Takuya. There was so much concentrated hatred in his glare that, had he the ability, the thing surely would've caught fire. For a split second, Takuya thought about just leaving it there and waiting for Dorian to come back.

He couldn't, though. Even if he wanted to, that is, _really_ wanted to, he couldn't just wait for Dorian to fix all their problems. These were his friends and this was _his_ team. He was the leader, whether he wanted it or not, that's just how things were. And if there was one thing he'd learned in the Digital World, it was that leadership was rarely simple or comfortable. That perspective is one of the hardest things for people to hold onto.

"Look," he started again awkwardly. "This hasn't been the best day. I mean, even if we were normal kids, it would still suck because I at least got my summer homework assigned today. But we're not normal, we're Digidestined. We've got weird problems."

"Is there a plan in all this?" Koji's voice was arctic, his eyes still trying to melt the phone's outer casing.

"Come on, Koji! One of my closest friends tried to lie to me; I'm mad at him too! I'd like to fight and shun him just as much as the next guy, but we can't afford to act like kids right now! We have to deal with the bigger problem, which is that Koichi either doesn't trust us to help him or just doesn't think we even **can**. If we were normal, that'd be one thing. But we're not so we're gonna have to find a way to _deal with this_."

"How?" Koji's voice had grown soft, defeated. He looked up and Takuya could see the anger settling on its intended target: Koji himself. "What are we supposed to do against people who can use cell phones to hack into people's dreams? Who can be anywhere at any time? Who think it's a good idea to shove a needle into someone's brain? I sure as hell don't know. We are out of our league, Takuya, and my brother's caught in the crossfire. How do you expect me to _deal_ with that?"

"We've gotta find out more about this cult thing," Takuya said, his voice softening just a little. "Right now all we have to go on is Dorian's word and, even though I don't think I dislike him quite as much as you guys, that doesn't mean I trust him either. The guys got issues… We need to get some information of our own and, more importantly, we need to watch out for Koichi. The more we know, about them and about _him_ , the better."

"You think we'll find something we can exploit," asked Izumi, sounding both hopeful and skeptical at the same time. "Some kind of weakness?"

A cynical smile tugged at Koji's lips.

"Everything has a weakness."


	15. The Wedge I

Koichi came very suddenly- very _unexpectedly_ , into wakefulness. The first thing to hit was a sense of panic. His body convulsed, tearing itself from the blankets and yanking him onto his feet all before his mind had a chance to even comprehend that it was, in fact, _his_ body. That lasted for a few moments, compressing his back and palms to the wall and hammering inside his chest like a caged animal. Forcing his breath to come in quiet pants through his mouth. Then there was confusion. He blinked and screwed up his face, trying to understand where he was and why he felt so afraid. Why he'd been in bed. Why he _had_ a bed at all and wasn't sleeping on a futon. How he could see even though there was no light…

It would be nice to say that, after that moment, true wakefulness descended and Koichi remembered the nightmare and came to his senses. That wasn't what happened. Seconds ticked by, congealing into minutes, and still Koichi stood frozen in the corner. Still his heart hammered and his memory refused to work. The tension of a prey animal wired through his limbs, making it difficult to breathe, pulling his attention to something just beyond the plain of reality. Something he'd just seen or experienced. Something that was hunting him. He knew it was there- if nothing else he **knew** it was there, watching him, waiting for _him_ to make a move. Soundlessly, he scrutinized the darkness, trying to locate the something, trying to remember what that _something_ even was. Nothing moved. Nothing answered him. And as the minutes began to clump together panic settled into unease.

Whatever _it_ was, it wasn't here now. It hadn't followed him from wherever he'd been to wherever he was. At least, he didn't think it had. Koichi didn't understand anything else about the situation, but that thought gave him comfort. Biting his lower lip, he took a tentative step forward, pulling his palms from the drywall. They felt hot and sticky. He wanted to wash them- wash himself. The nightmare had left him feeling dirty somehow, like he'd been running or working or rolling in filth. Or just asleep for a very, very long time.

There was a clicking sound and suddenly the room was filled with light. Koichi gasped in alarm, recoiling into his corner and looking away from the source. But the fear kept his eyes open, driving him to confront whatever was attacking, making him numb to the pain of slow pupil contraction. But no blow ever came. If anything the new light confirmed what he already knew to be true: that he was alone in a room. A room with only one door, apparently. The light was coming from beyond the door, leaking through the cracks around its rim and casting brightness into his otherwise black room. As he watched, it opened, creaking with age and disuse, swinging with ethereally slow speed to allow more light to bathe the white walls in yellow glow. Nothing else came from the door. No sounds, no shadows, nothing.

Curiosity battled fear in Koichi's mind, weighing the pros and cons of investigating. On the one hand he did _not_ know where he was, how he got there, or why he'd been locked in this room. His terror had been real, which meant there was something to be afraid of, even if he couldn't remember what that something was. On the other, he wanted to get out and pragmatism told him the only way had to be through the only door. Swallowing, Koichi gave into reason and peeled himself from the drywall once more. He paused for a moment, wavering, then with an audible and defiant sigh, walked forward and peered passed the door into the light.

His first deflated observation was that it too had only one door: the door through which he was looking. Then the confusion came back as he noticed something else rather odd. At first he thought it was a bathroom, but it had no toilet or bath. Just a mirror directly across from the door and a sink. The sink was a simple porcelain basin perched on a porcelain pedestal, plain and white. A single droplet of water had collected on the tip of the faucet and, as Koichi watched, reached capacity. If fell into the basin with a hollow noise like viscous liquid being disturbed. Another drop joined its brother moments later. And another. And another. The noise was deafening, a singular ripple in the otherwise complete silence that his psyche just couldn't tolerate. As another drop began to collect on the faucet Koichi moved forward quickly, twisting the knobs on either side of the sink in an attempt to shut off the water.

But there was no water on the faucet. Nothing in the sink. Just dry, white, porcelain. Koichi frowned, bemused. He could've sworn… Something creaked behind him. His head jerked up, first looking into the mirror, then throwing a glance over his shoulder to confirm. More nothing. Even so, his sense of unease was intensifying. Where was he! Was anyone looking for him? How'd he even get into a room with no entrance or exit? And, perhaps most importantly, why was he there? Sighing again, this time in exasperation, Koichi did the only thing he could think of. He looked at his reflection and finally found **something**. Something disturbing… His eyes… they weren't right… He blinked, squeezing his lids together and frowning. Looked again. That couldn't be right. Koichi leaned forward, gripping the cold sides of the sink basin. What stared back at him was dull and soulless. Not quite black but definitely not navy. And they didn't glimmer in the light the way eyes were supposed to. They looked wooden and fake and… all too familiar.

 _Drip_

Koichi's neck snapped down, his eyes instantly focusing on a single point of color. A red bead of liquid rolling down the white, leaving a glistening trail behind it. The breath caught in his throat; his heart stopped. His body was shaking, his palms slippery but not from sweat. Red coated them too, cold and sticky and wet, smeared all over the white glaze. His first instinct was to let go, to recoil from the horror, but the sounds of laughter held him paralyzed. Something was back, and it grabbed a fist full of his hair, pulling his head up with an audible crack. There was nothing but Koichi reflected in the mirror, but it wasn't him! It was smiling coldly, blood oozing from its ears and down its neck. Some got caught on his jaw line and ran along the bone, collecting at his chin.

 _Drip_

"What-" Koichi gasped, releasing the sink to claw at the thing that had a grip on his scalp. Whatever it was held firm. If anything, it cranked him even further forward, forcing his face much too close to the reflective glass. His counterpart smiled, reaching outside the rim of the mirror, searching for something Koichi couldn't see but still dreaded.

"Please," he tried feebly, fingers still curled in his own hair in a vain attempt to thwart the invisible force. "Please, I am begging you. No!" The other paused, giving him a contemplating look that, for a second, made Koichi think maybe he'd gotten through. But no sooner had the thought crossed his mind his reflection was smiling again. He narrowed his gaze at his real counterpart, pressing a blood-coated finger to his lips.

"Shhhh."

Koichi shuddered at the sensation of cold slime against his own lips, trying to pull away from the force. It held him as if entirely unaffected by his struggles. If anything it seemed amused; his reflection laughed again, the sound coming from all around him, licking its bloody finger with the very tip of it's tongue. Bile churned in his gut and Koichi retched at the texture of it. The taste like copper. The sensation of… enjoying it… Reflection-Koichi found whatever he was looking for and his grin grew as he pulled it into his field of vision. And what he held was arguably worse than all the blood: a glass, clear and filled with a black, tar-like liquid. At first Koichi wasn't sure what it was for, then the other brought it to his lips.

The most revolting taste filled Koichi's mouth. He wanted to retch again, to choke and spit the slime out, but his body was in more than one kind of revolt. It was swallowing, gulping and sucking and… savoring. Cold slid down his throat and settled in his stomach like a ball of writhing worms. He coughed, sputtering and clutching his abdomen as if that could contain the quickly spreading sensation of- oh god… The force released him, allowing his body to sink to the floor as his knees gave out. Shivers spasmed through his body as all sorts of things started racing across his mind. Knowledge he hadn't had only moments before felt ancient, common even, and his awareness spread through the room like some invisible blanket. There were people all around him, formless and faceless except for their dull black eyes. The monster in his stomach told him they were his followers, that they were there to bring him back. And there was more- a chair outside. A person in the chair… Restrained and waiting for him.

With sinking horror, he realized he wasn't Koichi at all. _He_ was the one in the chair. Koji pulled against the plastic ties that bound his wrists, grunting with effort, his heart hammering in panic. The faceless people surrounded him, but didn't touch him or even look at him. They manned their posts with a cool apathy that made Koji even more desperate to escape, even though he knew full well there was nowhere to run. There was a rustling sound and someone was standing directly in front of him. Koji's mouth went dry and, for a brief instant, his heart just stopped. Koichi's black eyes met his navy ones, congealed blood coating the sides of his neck and some liquid like oil running from one corner of his mouth. In one blood-streaked hand he held a pick and in the other… a hammer.

"Koichi, don't do this," Koji tried, desperation fraying his voice. "I know you don't want to do this!"

With a slight grin, Koichi brought one browning-red finger to his lips.

"Shhhh."

One of the figures standing behind him grabbed a fist full of Koji's hair, yanking his head back. Another took a firm grip on his jaw, holding him in place. Koji strained and thrashed, but to no avail. Their iron grips held firm. Koichi chuckled in mild amusement, inspecting his pick.

"Come now, Onii-san, don't act so surprised. You knew this was coming. Somewhere inside here," he placed the steel point just above Koji's left tear duct, angling it upwards. "You always knew."

"Please! You have to fight it!" Koji was unabashedly begging now, trying to meet his brother's empty gaze. Trying to believe, as he readied the hammer, that his brother was even still in there. That he could be reached and reasoned with. "This isn't you!"

Koichi paused, frowning. He faltered, his grip on both the pick and the hammer loosening. As if maybe, just maybe, he was reconsidering. But that passed quickly and then he just looked really, really sad.

"Yes it is."

And he struck the head of the pick with the hammer.

* * *

 **Content: disturbing imagery and ice-pick lobotomy**


	16. The Wedge II

Koji's eyes flew open, the terror of the nightmare fresh in his blood even though he knew instantly that it had been just a dream. "Just" being a relative term. He didn't move, didn't even breathe for a long second, eyes sweeping the darkness. It was his room at their dad's, complete with desk, family photographs, and guitar. He was in bed, cocooned in blankets and tucked beneath pillows. His door was closed. No one was there… but the unease didn't go away. If anything the apparent safety of his current condition only intensified his concern. Something felt off; something was out of place, he just couldn't tell what it was.

Slowly the sense of panic faded and he decided that any threat was purely from his subconscious. That didn't comfort him much, as it had been an astoundingly disturbing dream and it worried him that such things were even in his psyche. The content in and of itself was bad enough, but the characters? _His brother_ giving him an ice-pick lobotomy? What sorts of horrible things did that say about their situation? What sorts of horrible things did that say about how he _perceived_ his brother…

It didn't matter. It was just a dream.

Rolling his eyes dramatically, Koji threw off the blankets and pushed himself into the cold morning. Going back to sleep at that point was impossible; the adrenaline was pumping too fast and besides, it was 4:23AM. He had to be up soon anyway. "Soon" being a relative term. Typically he wasn't much of an early-riser, though this may've had more to do with the fact that his dad _was_ than any natural tendencies. When he was younger, before Satomi, his dad used to focus that "early bird" mentality entirely on him, bursting in every morning a solid hour before Koji felt inclined to get up. Like clockwork… This improved dramatically after Dad started seeing Satomi and all but vanished after the wedding. Still, he was always down-stairs, waiting like a trap of conversation that Koji didn't want to deal with.

Nowadays Koichi joined their father in the mornings, but conversation was still rare. The two had trouble relating: Koichi to his very driven, hard father and Dad to his more sensitive son. It wasn't that the two disliked each other- at least, Koji didn't think they did. Despite Koichi's sentiments to the contrary, he actually had more of the traits most valued by their father. He was scholarly, reliably ranking above Koji in their class and scoring better on _every_ exam. He was athletic, even though his wiry frame seemed to suggest otherwise. True, he wasn't involved in any school clubs, which _was_ a point of contention, but he had his job and was a very fast learner. No, it wasn't a lack of appreciation that stayed conversation. Rather, the two just didn't know how to communicate. Dad didn't know what questions to ask and Koichi had no idea what sorts of answers to give. They'd tried for a couple of years. Then high school hit and both resigned themselves to the silence. So Dad's energy focused back primarily onto the son he'd raised, which was annoying to put it lightly. Even praise for Koichi often seemed to come as criticisms for Koji, which wasn't all bad because it made both twins equally uncomfortable. Nevertheless, it was something Koji didn't want to deal with, especially early in the morning.

Especially not this morning… He looked down at his unmade bed, shrugged in a rebellious fashion, and made his way over to his closet to get dressed. It was Thursday, a school day. The days were getting longer, hotter, and stickier, heralding their summer vacation and all its associated promises. Homework had already been assigned to keep them company during their "time off," cram school applications had been filled out and submitted, and this time next week Koji would be "free." A snort of disdainful humor slipped through his nose before he'd had a chance to stop it. What a load of crap. Even when the world wasn't in imminent danger from evil, calling those few weeks the school released them to do homework and more school in another facility a vacation seemed ludicrous. He selected the short-sleeved uniform, sighing. Factor in that imminent danger, and the fact that his brother hadn't said two words to him (excepting false displays for their parents' benefit) since Saturday and Koji _really_ felt like there was nothing to be happy about.

Saturday… he didn't really want to think about Saturday, but no sooner had the word entered his mind all sorts of memories followed it, unbidden and unyielding to his preferences. Dorian had returned to the upstairs apartment some thirty minutes after his departure, all cold grins and assurances that Koichi was safe and sound on the third floor. He thought the reason the dark twin hadn't accompanied him back up was self-evident: Koichi didn't want to see them. Period. End of discussion. Why it had taken half an hour to descend several flights of stairs and ascertain the teen's whereabouts or what, if anything, the two had discussed, was left unsaid. Questions pertaining to his certainty in the manner were met with veiled hostility and suggestions that the other three go down and see for themselves. The latter was accompanied by a vague warning that churned in Koji's stomach even after the group decided the meeting was over. Dorian had then excused himself, or thrown them out depending on your perspective, saying there were some things he needed to handle and that he would call when he wanted them. This also worried Koji, but the prospect of several Dorian-free days was too good to pass up.

They found Koichi exactly where Dorian said he would be, curled against the wall on the third floor landing. He was sitting across from a pile of reeking vomit, knees pulled up to his chest, fists covering his eyes. It quickly became apparent that his little stint with the lights had taken a rather severe toll on his body, and that he had no intention of discussing it even if he'd had the energy. Actually, he had no intention of discussing anything. When he heard them pause over him, he'd pulled himself to his feet, but refused to make eye contact. Izumi's rage seemed to dissipate upon viewing his sorry state and she'd asked how he was.

"I'm fine."

He hadn't said anything to any of them since. Koji, for his part, was more annoyed than hurt by the dramatics. Near as he could tell, Koichi felt he was owed an apology and was playing juvenile games until he got it. Koji was not wrong and would not apologize for being in the morally superior position. If that made the game… or the babysitting, more awkward then so be it. Protecting his brother didn't require direct interaction, so the arrangement actually suited Koji just fine. Izumi and Takuya, however, were less grounded in their principles of self-respect. They wanted to _talk_ to him, which Koji knew was pointless, and had been trying for three days now. Koichi worked Monday-Friday evenings at the Western-style coffee shop a couple blocks from their dad's house (made possible in no small part by their dad's friends among the local business owners) and couldn't miss work. So at least one of them had had to skip after school activities to keep an eye on the joint instead. On-the-job isn't a conducive time to be chatting anyway, so when one factored in Koichi's stubborn rejection it was understandable that no one had had any success in getting through to him. Today it was Koji's turn. He was going to have to miss kendo…

 _Creek_

Koji started, swearing under his breath and turning sharply to locate the sound. It was faint, yet deafening in the early stillness. As his eyes skimmed the room the noise came again, a little more subtle this time but still loud enough for him to pinpoint the origin. It was coming from the other side of the wall- from Koichi's room. His first response was a fresh wave of panic. Aloof apathy thrown to the winds, he left the collar of his shirt unbuttoned and strode quickly to the door, opening it with practiced stealth and side stepping to the neighboring room. Then his fingertips brushed the doorknob and another thought crossed his mind. Blood drops rolling down the pale skin of his brother's neck. Black liquid in a crystal glass. Soulless eyes. What was he going to find in there?

Before he'd had a chance to debate this with any sort of rationality the door opened on its own. Well, maybe not quite on its own, but Koji jumped nonetheless. His twin's soft, navy gaze stared out at him from across the threshold, close enough to touch and yet so infinitely far away. His lips were dry and his eyes puckered, rimmed in red as if from a lack of sleep. Dark, bruise-like bags under those eyes seemed to confirm this assumption and his skin looked clammy. Overall he appeared exhausted and the grey light of dawn was doing nothing for him.

"You're up," Koji stated, instantly regretting it. Obviously Koichi was up, he was staring at him like he was a crazy person. The older twin blinked slowly but made no other indication that he'd heard. Not knowing what else to do, Koji decided to continue morning pleasantries then excuse himself tastefully. "How'd you sleep?"

Koichi blinked again. His hand was still resting on the door handle and, for a moment, Koji thought he was just going to close it back in his face. Instead, he licked his lips, clearly struggling with the answer. Koji wasn't sure how that was possible, since it wasn't a really complicated question. Then he spoke:

"You dream loudly."

Koji's mouth went dry with fear at the exact same moment his gut inflamed with anger. He grabbed the wooden edge of the door, forcing it further open as he leaned in.

"Excuse me for having nightmares," he hissed quietly. "Not that that's any of your business."

This was the part where Koichi sighed in exasperation and explained, once again, that he couldn't control his ability. Apologized because he couldn't help but experience Koji's most emotionally enflamed moments. That's how it worked- had always worked for the past five years. But not this time. This time Koichi didn't even break eye contact. He held his brother's accusatory gaze for a long moment- for what felt like minutes. Then he just turned and went back to his bed, sitting down on the edge and looking out the window. It was unclear whether or not Koji was supposed to follow, or if he even wanted to.

"That's it," he asked from the doorway. He'd meant it to sound threatening, like he was picking a fight, but it came out much more concerned. Koichi leaned his head against the glass, his silhouette looking horribly fatalistic, and Koji suddenly understood what was out of place. What had been out of place all week. Now, alone with his twin in the silent dawn, it became painfully obvious: Koji couldn't feel a thing from Koichi. He'd been shut out from his brother's mind, cut off by his twin's self-imposed isolation. Yes, Koichi was in the same room, even involved in the same poor-excuse of a conversation, but it was like looking at a ghost. There was no empathic connection, no twin-ESP like in the Digital World, not even the body language cues picked up by close friends. Like a stranger… _That_ hurt; a nameless sorrow welled up in his throat as he took a shaky breath.

"Nii-san…" Koji tried again, this time gentler, maybe even pleading. "Come on. This isn't okay."

"What do you want from me?" Koichi's response was firm and cool, with neither a trace of familiarity nor animosity. He turned to look at his brother with cryptic eyes. "Do you want me to apologize? Okay, I'm sorry. Do you want me to admit I was wrong? Fine, I was wrong. And you were right, I shouldn't want to keep anything from our friends and I shouldn't have asked you to either."

Koji was, in a word, shocked. The only force he'd ever encountered that could rival him in unapologetic stubbornness was his brother's. That he would so easily admit to wrongdoing was unprecedented and, if he was being honest, unsettling. It meant he was seriously, very upset. Koichi returned his gaze to the rising sun, letting out a small, disparaging sigh.

"It doesn't change anything. It doesn't matter if I'm sorry or not."

"It matters to me."

"Please," the older twin said with a short, mirthless snort. "Don't patronize me. Koji, in your nightmares I kill you. And it's not a new thing, you've been having these dreams since we got back from the Digital World. Normal people dream about exams or zombies or whatever, but not you. You're afraid of me and no matter how many times I apologize I can't change that."

"Just what is that supposed to mean!" Indignant, exposed anger flared up again, singeing his fraternal compassion. Again with the dream invasion! Koji had to struggle to keep his voice down, since he didn't want their dad coming in to investigate. His fingers were threatening to ball into fists and, although he couldn't quite justify hitting his brother, a part of him kind of wanted to.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Well tough!" Koichi gave him an incomprehensible look, the brightening sky throwing his features into shadow. He looked… resigned. As if he'd just given something important up and now sat, waiting for judgment. That face… it got him every time, tweaking some primal bond, forcing compassion back to the surface of his turbulent mind. Koji let out a sigh of frustration, wishing he could maintain his anger. It was easier to be angry than confused and hurt. "What the hell did Dorian say to you anyway?"

"It's not just what Dorian said-"

"Then what is it? Look, I don't want to talk about feelings anymore than you do, but this-" he made a wide gesture in Koichi's general direction. "This isolation thing, it's not healthy. I know; I've been there. It doesn't make you stronger or more prepared. If anything it makes you easier to exploit and I _know_ that isn't what you want. So if you don't wanna talk to me that's fine, I get it. But talk to Takuya or Izumi or **anyone**. Just cut the silent-treatment crap."

Koichi stood up, back to the sunlight, face obscured by shadow. His shoulders were tense, breath controlled but uneven. For the first time in days Koji saw his words take effect- _saw_ something roll off his brother, causing a wave of relief to spread through him. Koichi was angry and Koji could tell, could read it in his frame even without their empathic contact. Good. At least anger was something. At least anger was active.

"Cut the crap," he repeated incredulously. "Really? _You_ would say that to _me_?"

"How do you figure?" Koji's tone was borderline sarcastic, though genuinely uncertain, which only served to further aggravate his twin.

"Did it occur to anyone that maybe I haven't been talking to any of you because I already know what you're going to say and I don't want to hear it? 'It's not your fault Koichi.' 'You weren't in control.' 'You aren't Duskmon anymore and you're not responsible for the things Tache has done.' _That_ is crap. Dorian may be horrible, but at least he's honest with me! You three, on the other hand, are all words of encouragement to my face, but I can't even go to the bathroom without one of you following me!"

"That's-"

"For my protection. Yeah I know." The tightness in Koichi's shoulders had increased dramatically as the tenor of his voice became lower, more threatening. For a brief moment Koji even thought he might try hitting him, but then he just turned back to the light. His face softened as he looked out the window, sighing with released frustration.

"I know… And the worst part is, I _know_ you're all just trying to help. I know that Tache is out there, waiting for me, planning how he's going to get me on my own and I know you don't trust me to resist him. I know that on some level, you're all afraid of me, of what I'll become once Tache gets back inside of me. You should be afraid. You shouldn't trust me. It would be easier for all of us if you all just stayed out of it, just uninvolved yourselves and let Dorian handle it. But that's not going to happen, so there's nothing to talk about."

A moment of unclear silence passed between the two brothers. Koichi stared out at the rising sun, bathed in its light yet somehow insulated from it. Koji stood in the shadows, like a second sun at his back, his stare hotter and infinitely more intense. Neither moved. Neither spoke. Seconds ticked by with tangible jerks of a clock hand, until finally Koji couldn't take it anymore.

"You said you were sorry," he said slowly, his voice low and deliberate. "That you were wrong to want to keep things from us. If that's true- if _any_ of that was true, then don't keep things from us now. Talk to me, _please._ Tell me what's going on with you."

Koichi didn't blink or respond in any way. He just continued to look out the window, as if he hadn't heard Koji or had forgotten his twin was in the room altogether. The anger was gone, receded into the cold apathy his twin had been wearing all week. It was as if he hadn't said anything at all, as if the conversation had never happened. Koji had reached out and Koichi pulled away from the contact, just like he always did when something really bad was about to happen. He remembered this feeling- this helplessness in the face of the dark twin's resolve. He _hated_ this feeling, like his heart was being compressed inside his chest and his ribcage was going to implode from the sudden lack of volume.

"I need to get ready for school," Koichi said absently. Koji couldn't tell if the words were for him or if his brother was just thinking out loud. What Koji did know was that his brother was closing himself off, stubbornly refusing help as usual, and there was nothing Koji could do about it. All his anger slipped away, boiling down to the feeling Koji had been trying to deny since this all began: despair. **Something** was coming for them and Koichi was going to try and fight it on his own. And he was going to loose…


	17. The Wedge III

Izumi hated her school uniform. Really, truly, deeply, she hated it. It was generic, common, fit in all the wrong places, and to top it all off, was exactly the shade of brown she looked the least attractive in. Her only comfort was that she wasn't alone; misery loves company and, near as she could tell, no one else was rocking the uniform either. She knew they weren't designed to be flashy or even particularly nice, but still, did the thing have to be so hideous! Frowning at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, Izumi readjusted the collar, then tugged on the skirt, trying to center it around her hips. This twisted the white shirt that was tucked into the skirt's elastic band, creating wrinkles that demanded her immediate attention. Then there was the matter of her hair, which was the one aspect of her appearance with which the school allowed her any freedom. Normally this was an exciting thought, as Izumi considered herself to be quite the independent and creative spirit, but today the ugliness of her uniform was extra depressing. She parted the golden sheet right down the middle, braided both halves into pigtails, then pulled the braids out, sighing in frustration.

No… that was a lie. It wasn't the school uniform that was depressing her. The real culprit was so much more obvious and so less easily dealt with. Izumi was upset because she had a friend in trouble and she had no idea how to help him. She was _depressed_ because said friend didn't even want her to try. He didn't think she, or any of them really, could do anything anyway. And now, on top of all that, he wouldn't even talk to her and she didn't understand why. She didn't understand what she had done wrong- and she _must_ have done something wrong. Koichi's behavior had to be her fault some how, the result of something she'd done or a backlash against something she'd said. Because if it wasn't, if it had nothing to do with her, then she wasn't just depressed; she was powerless and that was something Izumi refused to be.

So she'd fretted and followed him, talking about school, the weather, homework, trees, anything that might get Koichi to speak. And when she wasn't trying to reestablish communication she fussed over little things that didn't matter. This was one of those times and she knew it. Setting her jaw, Izumi pulled all her hair over her left shoulder and began to braid, pulling each turn just a little out of the knot to give it some extra volume. Back in her bedroom, her phone started chirping as someone decided 7AM was a good time to call her. She fastened the braid with a brown band and walked efficiently to the phone.

"Takuya," she said inquisitively, checking the caller ID. "You're up early. There's more than 10 minutes until school starts."

"Hey," he said back in mock defense. "I'm not _that_ bad! I've even been known to _go_ to school early!"

"It's not 'going to school early' if you have football practice."

"Mmmm, I'm pretty sure it's the place that makes it count, not the reason."

"Sure…" A moment of silence.

"Zumi? What's up?"

"What do you mean? I'm fine."

"Come on, remember who you're talking to. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I couldn't tell the difference between your upset 'I'm fine' and your legit 'I'm fine'?"

"Takuya," she started in a falsely teasing voice. But then she stopped suddenly, reconsidering. He waited patiently for her to decide how to respond, listening to a dull clicking sound as she bit her thumbnail. Nervous habit; now he _knew_ there was something wrong.

"I asked around at school…" She faltered, chewing her tongue. "There's a boy from 3B, Tanaka Yuki… He's quiet, no one really knew him… I guess that's the type, right?"

"He's missing?"

"Two days now." She inhaled slowly, biting down on her nail. "They're in my school, Takuya. For who knows how long! And if they're in my school, just down the hall from me, then where else are they?"

He had no answer. Truth be told, they were in his school too. Not anyone he knew personally, Koichi was the only quiet, insecure kid he hung out with, but around him. That girl he'd assumed was sick was now top of the class; the lanky kid that ate lunch alone on the stairs wasn't around anymore. They were everywhere, like shadows on the streets. The longer he looked the more he found, even people who had looked perfectly fine.

"There's a lot of stressed people out there," he shrugged. "When you start looking for them."

"They're more than stressed," Izumi said, her nail snapping between her teeth. "They're invisible- powerless. They don't think anyone can help them… They don't even want help anymore…"

"You're worried about Koichi," Takuya read, hoping to stop her nail chewing before she destroyed it beyond salvage. There was a long pause as Izumi rubbed her fingers together, choosing her words.

"It's been almost a week, Takuya. I know you said we needed to give him some space and I've been trying, really I have, but I…" She swallowed, sitting down on the edge of her bed and bracing her elbows on her knees.

"I know," Takuya said, the warmth in his voice somehow making it across the line. "And I get it. I'm worried too. It bugs me that we haven't heard a peep from Tache either. I can't think they'd have just given up, not after that dream thing."

"We wouldn't know it even if they did make a peep," Izumi scoffed scornfully, wrinkling her nose. "He won't even talk to us! How are we supposed to help if he won't tell us what's happening? Oh wait, that's right, we're **not** supposed to help."

"I hear you, I hear you," he soothed. Izumi could just imagine him on the other side, waving his hands at the wall or the window for emphasis, and that made her smile a little.

"I know. It's just so frustrating! And where's Dorian in all this?"

"He said he had some stuff to take care of," Takuya shrugged. Izumi scooted forward on her bed, feeling a sudden rush of adrenaline.

"But don't you think it's a little weird? He goes down and talks to Koichi, then suddenly our friend won't speak with us? Then he just up and vanishes without any explanation?"

"He's French?" The Takuya in her mind shrugged again as he spoke, making an I-have-no-clue face. Izumi wrinkled her nose, unsatisfied with the answer.

"He's hiding something… something important."

"How'd you know?"

"Woman's intuition."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously!" Her mock vexation came out a little too real and she sighed, straightening and crossing her legs in an attempt to force calm back into her body. On the other end, Takuya made some mildly vexed noises of his own, the rustle of cloth hissing in the background as he too shifted.

"I'm sorry Takuya," she apologized. "I didn't mean to bite; I just don't trust him. It's not that I think he's a bad guy, necessarily…"

"You just think he's an ass."

"No! Well, yes, I do think he's an ass, but that's beside the point. I feel like there's something…" She swallowed, trying to find the word. "Off about him. Something lacking."

"Zumi, he's here to help us. And if you look at it he's been nothing _but_ helpful since he's shown up."

"But where is he _now?_ Why haven't we heard from him? If keeping Tache at bay really is his primary concern, then what's so important that he's willing to leave Koichi unattended for a week?"

"Koichi's not 'unattended;' Dorian left him with us."

"Dorian thinks we're incompetent, a sentiment _Koichi_ seems to share. He doesn't seem like the type to leave important matters to incompetent people. He has **got** to know something we don't, or have some source of information we don't know about."

She heard an intake of breath and chose to cut him off before the argument could get heated again.

"Takuya, please just listen to me. We need to know whatever it is that he knows and we need to know how he knows it. I want to trust Dorian, I really do, and I want to believe he's got nothing but good intentions, but-"

"You need a little bit of proof," Takuya finished in a resigned tone. She sighed affirmation through her nose, bringing her thumbnail back up to her lips, wondering if maybe she'd gone too far.

"I'm sorry," she apologized softly, more for causing him trouble than for any of her thoughts.

"Don't be," he said reassuringly. "We've been together for a while now and I have never known your instincts to be wrong. If anything I'm the one who should be sorry, for trying to push you. So, okay… if Dorian's hiding anything, it'd be in his apartment or somewhere in that building, right?"

"Yes," said Izumi uncertainly. "Takuya, where are you going with this?"

"Tomorrow after school I'll pick you up and we can go check it out! See what we find. If there is something there, we confront him about it. Force him to come clean with us."

"And if we don't find anything there?"

"Then we keep on our toes, but I think if we don't find anything incriminating we should lay off the French guy. We Digidestined need to stick together and trust each other, for Koichi's sake."

"For Koichi's sake," Izumi nodded. She could hear the placating smile in Takuya's voice, and that made her smile too. There was a bit of a pause, then, a spark of mischief lighting in her stomach, she added: "So it's a date!" and hung up.


	18. Threads of Fate and Blood I

Takuya smiled as the line went dead, like he always did whenever he spoke to Izumi. But this time it was a little different, a little colder, less all encompassing. He didn't like their plan, didn't like the idea that their would-be savior was actually playing them. And if Dorian was hiding something, he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know about it. Get his hands dirty with it. Gingerly, he stood up, stretching and slipping the cell phone back into his pocket. The clock read way-too-early and he kicked himself for not planning better. Izumi liked to take her time in the mornings, get everything in order and appropriately styled/ packed before the day had a chance to get going. He'd known she'd be up and fully conscious by now, which was why he'd set his alarm for 0'dark:30 AM. What he hadn't considered was the very real possibility that their conversation might take less than an hour… Now he was awake and alone with his own thoughts. Not even quite enough time to justify hitting the football field for some early morning practice.

"Takuya?"

He jumped a bit, startled by the small, stillness-shattering voice. His brother Shinya poked his groggy head through the door, giving him a blurry-eyed judgment face.

"Hey little buddy," Takuya greeted, sighing heavily and plopping right back down onto his bed. "What's crackin'?"

"What are you doing? You're _never_ up this early."

"Tell me about it. But, you know, important stuff to do." Shinya blinked at him.

"Is something going on?" Damn. Takuya may've been somewhat of a complainer about the majority of his problems, but he tried his best to keep those related to the Digital World private. It wasn't so much that he didn't trust his family, he just never wanted to take the time to explain it all to them. That, and he had no proof. But Shinya was intuitive, more so than Takuya ever gave him credit for, and every time one of these less normal problems popped up, his little brother always knew about it. Takuya sighed heavily and made a face, patting the blanket next to him. Shinya moseyed over and sat down, rubbing one eye with the heel of his hand.

"Yeah," Takuya said, draping a protective arm over his brother's shoulders. "Yeah, something's going on."

"Is it your train-friends?" Takuya gave a soft chuckle; the official story was that he and his Digital World cohorts had all happened to meet on a train to Shibuya and had just _really_ hit it off. When Koichi tripped down the stairs and they all wound up going to the hospital, a life-long bond had been forged. This was, of course, a half-truth they used to explain how they'd gotten so close over the course of maybe three hours and Shinya knew it. At first he'd badgered Takuya about what had really happened, then eventually gave up and just started calling them all "The Train Gang." Whenever Takuya didn't talk about something, it was because that something was super-secret-gang-business. Enough said… sometimes.

"You could say that," he answered vaguely, looking at the door as if something mildly interesting had appeared there. Shinya pushed away from his big brother's side and stared at him, brows furrowed. It wasn't like him to be so cryptic.

"It's bad, isn't it," he said in a quiet, conspiratorial voice. Takuya looked down at him, working his face into an encouraging smile.

"It's just big kid stuff, nothing you need to worry about." A moment of silent uncertainty passed between them. When Shinya finally gave up on getting any more out of him and made a move to leave, Takuya tightened his grip. "Just," he started awkwardly. "Be careful, alright? There are bad people out there."

"Takuya, I'm 12," Shinya chastised, rolling his eyes dramatically. "I can take care of myself."

"Yeah," Takuya laughed, releasing his brother's shoulder to ruffle his hair affectionately. "I know little man, you're all tough now."

"I've always been tough," Shinya shot back, wrinkling his nose and batting Takuya's hand away. Takuya shoved him off the bed, laughing a little louder.

"Sure you have," he teased. "Alright then, tough man, think you can manage to put on some pants while I go get breakfast started? If we go fast then we might beat Mom to the punch, what'd ya think?"

"I don't think you'll _ever_ be fast enough to beat Mom to _anything_."


	19. Threads of Fate and Blood II

He never thought the day would come, but when his friends from the kendo club pulled Koji aside at the school gate Friday morning, Koichi was glad to be rid of him. Or, to be more precise, he was glad to be rid of the constant strain of keeping himself _entirely_ out of Koji's mind. It had been challenging before this all had started; keeping to himself, that is. Usually his readings remained purely empathic in nature, a simple extension of their natural connection, and they were just that: readings. Koji could technically feel the presence of his twin, but it was subtle at best, the way one "feels" a limb or hair. The tension arose because Koji _knew_ he was there.

When his control did slip, which inevitably resulted in the full extent of Koichi's abilities exercising themselves, it made a bad day worse. At best, he got a face-full of whatever happened to be on Koji's mind, smells, sounds, thoughts, the whole nine yards. At worst the distinction between the twins disappeared as the very experience of being passed from one to the other and back again. _That_ was more closeness than either brother ever wanted. Was it handy sometimes? Yes. Yes it had been handy when he'd called for help in the alley and yes, it would probably be handy when he had to do so again. That didn't make the experience any less terrifying or the possibility of repeats any more foreboding. Nor did it alter the fact that such an experience left a lasting mark.

Things were different now… tighter. That night in the alley, when he'd come into contact with Tache's power once again then plunged himself completely into Koji's mind in a desperate act of self-preservation, something had changed. He could _feel_ _ **everyone**_ , every mind like a little bead pressing against his skin, harmless but noticeable. There was more with people he was close to, emotions, stray phrases or words… Koji, like always, was special. The two had been engaging in what could only be described as empathic communications since that night, almost to the same extent as when they'd first gotten back from the Digital World, whispering into each other's thoughts. It was a little ironic to have Koji checking in on him again, feeding back on their bond to intentionally access _his_ state of mind. But Koichi couldn't have that now, not with everyone else doing the same thing… not with Tache hiding in the corner.

He didn't know if it was just Koji's activity or his brush with Tache's technology, but something had heightened his abilities. Not only that, but they were growing, expanding, sensing electricity surging through the walls as easily as that flowing through a brain. It was frightening and exhilarating at the same time, and it was taking everything he had to keep it not just controlled, but contained. The intensity decreased with distance like any other wave, so when he'd left his brother and family behind and was among peers whom he liked but didn't feel especially close to, it was a relief. A headache bloomed behind his eyes at the sudden uplifting of pressure, taking advantage of his lax concentration to express its displeasure. Koichi welcomed it, pausing for a moment as he exchanged his shoes for slippers to close his eyes and rub his brow. Then he yawned, cracked his neck, and began his march to class.

At first the day seemed to progress normally, something for which Koichi was infinitely grateful. Only a few things were out of place, his own hypersensitivity being of foremost concern. There was also the matter of Himura Shizuka, a girl from his class who had been absent the last couple of days. She was still gone. In and of itself this was not uncommon; Himura was known to be rather frail. Prone to illness and injury, she would routinely be out of school for days on end with this or that condition. Koichi'd always thought that was part of her charm and was continuously impressed by her ability to maintain a relatively high class ranking despite missing so much school. A quiet girl by nature, Himura didn't have too many friends. Actually he could only think of one off hand, another girl named Sato Aoi.

This name came to him instantly because it was actually Sato who was causing the disturbance. She was fretting, asking anyone who paused in the halls if they'd spoken to Himura. Apparently Sato hadn't seen or heard from her since Monday, and even then Himura had been unusually distant. Kept checking her phone and sending text messages to someone she'd refused to name. Sato was terrified that the stress of always being sick was finally getting to her and was calling the school counselor if she didn't hear back from Himura by tomorrow. That concerned Koichi, and not just because he was rather fond of Himura and didn't want to see her try anything she'd regret. He was worried that some other forces active in the Tokyo area might've had a hand in Himura's disappearance. A cold knot twisted in his stomach every time he thought about it. So he narrowed his focus to the task at hand and did his best _not_ to think. Thankfully, Koji was, as usual, oblivious to the chatter around him, thus freeing Koichi of any additional 'meaningful' glances and allowed him to be relatively successful in his endeavor to ignore his problems.

He was in the last class of the day before those problems caught up with him. World-History: not his worst subject but certainly not his favorite. The whole thing seemed more depressing than anything, memorizing names and dates to spew at one exam or the other as if that all somehow got to the real question of "why." As if they in their little classroom could even begin to understand the "whys" of the world... as if "why" could be quantified and studied at all…

Koji's desk was in the next row and three seats back from his own, offering an ideal surveillance location for twin watching. For the first half of the day and all through lunch the younger twin had taken advantage of it, staring down his brother as if to read his moods and intentions in the wrinkles of his shirt-back. Now his gaze drifted out the window, face set in annoyance as his hand mindlessly transcribed the teacher's lecture. History was certainly not his best subject and his recent poor grade had not endeared it to him any further. For his part, he was ready for the day to be over and done with. Koichi was trying to be more mindful in his note taking, and had succeeded for the first thirty minutes. Then everything came apart.

It started small, sudden fatigue and a slight lightheaded feeling. He closed his eyes and gave his head a soft jerk to clear away the fog in his brain. Instead he sent the world spinning. Koichi set his pencil down quietly on the desk, wiping sweaty palms on his pants. His lips parted as he struggled to stay balanced on his seat and breathe at the same time, the teacher's voice fading into the surging of his own blood. His own breath rasping in his throat… resonating inside his clogging ears. As if the world was peeling away round him, leaving his body the only entity in existence.

His first disjointed thought was the simple and innocent question: what's happening? Then the buzzing started, high and ringing in his skull, his stomach tightening in a way he'd only experienced once before, and he knew. He knew _exactly_ what was happening. For a moment he just sat there, stunned, watching the floor and walls shimmer as if made of water as his mind was violated in a room full of people. What was this? What did it want from him this time? Before, on the streets of Tokyo, it had been insidiously obvious. It had wanted him away from the group and down the dark alley. And he had performed beautifully. But now…

His eyes were drawn upwards, away from his notes and past the teacher. Over to the window above the door… The silhouette in that window. The glass was fogged and opaque, so he couldn't make out any more than that. No gender, no name, nothing beyond the shadow he perceived. Just a body. Just a messenger. It pressed a black hand to the window, fingers splayed, and from that hand oil began to drip down the door- No, not oil. Oil would've been shiny, gleaming in the too-white fluorescent lighting. This was pure darkness, a blackness that encompassed all the emptiness of space. It was the void into which Tache placed the souls of those he corrupted, and it was making its slow, oozing way towards Koichi.

"It's not real," he breathed, his voice barely audible yet infinitely deafening, echoing in the stillness of the room. The blackness paid him no mind, slithering purposefully through the legs of desks and people on its quest to find him. Koichi stared at it, willing it to disappear, trying to believe it out of existence, but it kept coming. Fear began to climb his throat as it reached _his_ desk legs and, in a secret part of his heart, he hoped that it would just keep going. Move past him as it had his classmates and find some other target. But it didn't. It paused, as if it could smell him, then began to spread itself thinner. Climbing the front end of his desk while still sliding seamlessly across the floor towards him. He started when it touched his foot, shallow breath catching in his throat as cold ran through his nerves.

"This isn't real," he told himself again, more firmly this time. But his body refused to believe him, shuddering as the thing that wasn't there began to climb his pant leg. He couldn't stop watching it, could barely hold himself in his chair, and no matter how many panicked pleas he sent to Koji, something was blocking them. Something was making his twin deaf to his distress, keeping him completely, helplessly alone in a room brimming with classmates. The darkness climbed across his desktop, flowing over his notes and pencil in a slow, viscous march that made his tingling stomach turn. Then it began to drip into his lap and he just couldn't take it anymore.

He stood up abruptly, sending his chair back with a loud scraping noise right in the middle of the lecture. Koichi didn't care though; he couldn't be there anymore. His head was spinning and his vision was spotty, but none of that mattered. The teacher soundlessly mouthed 'you look a little pale' as every blind eye in the class turned away from him. For a moment he just stared, uncomprehending, at the teacher face, his breath feeling hot and heavy in his mouth. He could sense Koji behind him and, for just a moment, feel his concern. His own terror mingled with his brother's, but when he tried to reach out further, to communicate what was happening, the nausea hit. He strode quickly and stiffly out of the classroom, sliding the door closed without making eye contact with anyone.

The effect was instantaneous. His stomach settled and his mind cleared, like walking out of the hot, sticky summer air into an air-conditioned building. A long sigh slid through his dry lips as he ran his hands over his face, as if he'd woken up from a terrible nightmare to find himself safe and sound in bed. For a moment he relished that feeling, allowing relief to cool his insides and make him believe the worst of it was over. As if to counter this assumption, his legs weakened beneath his weight and he moved to the window across the hall, leaning on the sill and staring out into the courtyard. Summer was imminent and anything that could grow was well past the flowering stage. The paths were clear of debris and framed by vibrant patches of pure green. Class would remain in session for another 20 minutes at least, then the students would clean their classrooms and proceed to club activities, so the courtyard would continue to remain clear for at least a little longer. Peacefully empty.

Only it wasn't empty… Koichi leaned closer to the glass, squinting downward. There, standing on the cement, was the single, solitary figure of Himura Shizuka. Her black hair was, as usual, bound in a simple braid and pulled over her right shoulder, her school-uniform skirt hanging limply past her knees. Unlike many of her classmates, she never rolled it up to show more leg. She looked a little paler than usual, and cold, like the heat of the summer sun was only barely touching her from far away. And she looked weak, swaying as if she might topple off her feet at any moment. Concern bloomed in his chest, displacing any lingering sickness and compelling him to act. Himura kept looking around as if unsure of where she was or how she'd gotten there. Heavy eyes looked up towards his window, maybe registering the onlooker, maybe not, and then she started off towards one of the narrow alleys between buildings.

Worry churned in his gut; if Himura was sick and disoriented, then she couldn't be allowed to continue wondering like that. She would walk into the street or otherwise hurt herself. If he acted now he could prevent it. He could save her. Koichi didn't think beyond that. He hurried down the hall to his locker as quietly as he could, exchanged inside-slippers for sneakers, and went out into the courtyard. Himura was just in the shadows of the alley, leaning heavily against the brick with her eyes closed. Her skin shone with cold perspiration and she really did look horribly sick. Like she shouldn't have been out of bed, let alone out in the world. The closer he got, the more intense the tingling in his stomach became, but he was too preoccupied to notice.

"Are you alright," he asked softly as he approached her, entering the alley and stepping close. She gave a faint smile, but made no other indication that she'd heard him. He licked his lips uncertainly, trying again. "Himura?"

"Shizuka," she said in a raw voice, lifting heavy lids to reveal dull, black eyes. His chest tightened, quickening his pulse even as he clung to denial. "My name is Shizuka."

"What are you doing out here? Your friend Sato was worried," Koichi redirected, unable to separate the potential threat from the sick girl. He'd never really looked Shizuka in the eye before, so it was possible that they always looked like that… She stared at him vaguely, still supporting herself on the wall. "She said you've been sick."

"I was sick," she answered. "But not in the way Aoi or anyone else ever believed. I was alone, Koichi. Alone and afraid and _weak_. The most disgusting kind of sickness there is."

"What are you saying," Koichi asked, though he knew full well the answer. She ignored him, continuing to speak as if she hadn't even heard him.

"I couldn't go two weeks without some medical crisis or another and falling behind in school. It was horrible- _pathetic_. Everyone just assumed I could handle it. No one ever noticed I was drowning in it all, and that was the worst part. I thought nobody understood- _could even_ _begin_ to understand. But I was wrong… They showed me I was wrong."

"I- I don't understand." It was a lie, one he wanted desperately to believe. He wanted to blame his headache on the fact that it was too bright and he'd left his sunglasses in his bag, wanted to pass all this off as the feverish ramblings of a flu-stricken girl. But that wasn't the case and somewhere in the back of his mind he knew it. Koichi took a half-conscious step backwards, pulling away from her in fear and disbelief.

"Yes you do," Shizuka said, her voice lowering dangerously. "You understand exactly what it's like. More than that, you know how intolerable the weakness is. The helplessness… How it just eats you alive. And you're not the only one; there are dozens of us. Hundreds even, all with that same darkness inside them. But you were the first to turn that darkness into power. You were the first to choose freedom."

"Stop it. Himura, you really don't look well. Please, let's go to the infirmary." He was begging now, pleading with Shizuka and the universe alike, hoping his intuition was wrong. Praying the electricity in his gut was just nerves… but knowing that, too, was a lie.

"They can't help me in the infirmary," she snorted. The action seemed to take a great deal of effort; she shivered despite the summer heat, sighing deeply. "I don't need any help. Not anymore. Never again."

"Shizuka…" Oh god she was right. Horribly, painfully right. He did understand, even more than he would ever fully admit. It was as if she was reciting words from his own mind a lifetime ago, reading from the diary of the bleakest arc in his existence. His heart sank and his shoulders visibly dropped in despair. "What have you done?"

"Only what you did; what everyone like us is fated to do," she said cryptically. "I embraced the darkness, turned my pain into power. Already I can feel it inside me, and the change isn't even complete. Soon the Master's essence will be fully integrated into my body, and I will be whole."

"Listen to me, Shizuka," Koichi said urgently, giving her an intense look. A part of him wanted to reach out and grab her, shake her by the shoulders until sense returned to her thought process, though he knew that would never work. Even this was a long shot; still, he had to try. For the sake of the spirit wandering into Tache's waiting arms, he had to try. "I turned away from that darkness for _a reason_. None of this is what you think; you have no idea what it'll cost you! Please, I know how crushing the loneliness is, but this will not make it better. Giving into jealousy will only cause you more pain. Don't make the same mistakes I did. Don't let them turn you into a monster-"

"A monster? They've made me **strong**." She pushed herself off the wall and advanced on him, her black eyes hardening. "They've made me a part of something bigger, given my life purpose the likes of which I'd never even dreamed!"

"And just what 'purpose' is that," Koichi snapped back, unable to keep the disgust out of his voice. Shizuka gave him a smile that turned his blood to ice, reaching into her skirt pocket to retrieve a small, black, disposable cell phone.

"Well, to begin with, I've been charged with helping you remember who you are." For a long, suspended moment they both just stared at the box in her hand, Shizuka with a sort of sick affection and Koichi with abject horror. Then she turned it on and the energy in Koichi's stomach shot through his entire body. His back went rigid and he fell stiffly to the ground as his legs gave way beneath him. His mind rang with lightning.

"What are you-" he tried, but his voice was stuck, like every muscle fiber in his being.

"You can feel it, can't you," Shizuka sighed, her head rolling back as if in ecstasy. "The awakening. It's your destiny Koichi. It's who you were meant to be."

"No," he breathed, the word like ash in his mouth. His hands fell limply to the ground at his sides, fingers flexed, his chest heaving. She kneeled before him, all traces of fatigue or illness gone. As if the little black box had contained all her vitality, and flipping the switch had released it to hum through the air. Koichi felt her in his mind too, like some relentless pressure, intense and purposeful. He knew what she wanted him to do, why she'd come before she was fully ready. More than that, he could feel the unleashed darkness flowing through her like a memory, her yearning to sink into it. But the feeling was not his and he refused to allow it to swallow him. Shizuka sensed this and her smile widened.

"Shh," she soothed, tracing his cheekbone with the tips of her long, pale fingers, calloused from playing a stringed instrument. "Stop fighting it, Koichi, you know you can't. Embrace it. Become the Master of Darkness once more."

"Get- Get away from me!" He choked on his own words, feeling acid burn in his throat. Her fingers were like ice, cold and moist as she began to play with his hair, ignoring his demands. If anything, she seemed amused by them, giggling softly as her black gaze poured into his mind.

"We need a sample of you're cerebrospinal fluid, Koichi. That's all we want… for now. Do you want to continue playing games, or would you rather just give it to us? I could call the others and we could go someplace more sanitary than a back alley. Take our time and do it properly."

"No," he hissed, wanting desperately to pull away from her touch. But his neck was frozen, restrained by whatever force that phone was broadcasting. "No, I'm not going anywhere with you or your **cult**. You can't force me-"

"Force you," she laughed. "Don't be ridiculous; we're not going to _force_ you to do anything, Koichi. When you give us what we want," she slid her fingers from his scalp down the side of his face and along his jaw line in a cold caress. "And you _will_ give us what we want." He shuddered under her touch as she gripped his chin firmly, jerking his head up so he found himself looking straight into her eyes. "It'll be of your own free will"

She looked like she was going to say more, but stopped suddenly. Her jaw tightened as she set the cell on the ground and stood up. Her smile dropped for a moment as her head jerked towards the courtyard, dark eyes probing. She made an exasperated sound, looking at Koichi, then back again, to the door to the main building. Someone was there, looking for him; Koichi could read it in her thoughts. He tried to call out, but still his voice was caught, locked in the little black phone along with his ability to move and think clearly. Shizuka pursed her lips, clearly weighing her options.

"Accept that now," she repeated without looking at him. "Give into your fate. Or _you_ will have forced _us_ into more drastic action. Think carefully, Koichi. I'm only your classmate," her black eyes slid to him meaningfully, "There are others who may prove more… persuasive. You will come to us, it's only a matter of time. One way or another, you will come back."


	20. Threads of Fate and Blood III

Koji hadn't started the day in the best of moods and by the time their last class rolled around little had changed. If anything his irritability had grown, building steadily like a pressurized reaction, with Koichi's continuing obstinance being the pressure. It was a rare enough event the Koichi was angry, rarer still that that anger was directed at yours truly. However, when such was the case, Koji had come to expect a certain level of insensitivity from his twin. Today so much was different. Koichi wasn't just being insensitive he was being mean. The things he'd said that morning were like a poison in Koji's mind, aching more and more as time passed. Partially because, in some small, back corner of his heart, he understood Koichi's accusations hadn't been that far off the mark. Mostly, though, it was the fact that his twin believed them. It was like years of bonding and hours of encouragement had never happened. Like, as far as his brother was concerned, they weren't even on the same side. Like Koichi didn't want him anymore…

That festered inside him, souring everything from his morning kendo club camaraderie to the perfectly delicious lunch Satomi had packed for him. He might've even gone so far as to say it made the horribleness that was world history lecture preferable to the spending time with his brother that had to come after. Which was more despicable than anything else he'd ever experienced. And he had no idea how he was supposed to make it all right again. He'd tried the waiting thing, the talking thing, and the yelling thing. What else was there? How does one make people forgive you? How does one force trust and confidence back into a relationship? What, exactly, had he done that had screwed things up so badly in the first place?

He was mulling over these things, transcribing the teacher's ramblings without actually taking in a word of it, when it started again. Whatever caused Koichi to be overcome by lightheadedness affected Koji too, dampening his senses like a fog. His vision grew noticeably darker and his ears felt horribly clogged. He yawned, palming his forehead and blaming the sudden disorientation on fatigue. Annoyed, he checked the clock and then, further irritated by what he saw, diverted his attention back out the window. Outside the sun was shining, birds were chirping, and summer was rolling in in all its hot, humid glory. He couldn't decide if he wanted to go out and lay in the grass or was content to remain inside the climate-controlled classroom. What he could settle on was the fact that this train of inquiry was much more pleasant than anything he'd thought about all week.

"It's not real."

Koichi's voice caught his attention, slicing through the mist that had descended around him. Navy eyes snapped into focus, honing in on a suddenly very still form forward and to his right. The dark twin wasn't taking notes anymore… or doing anything at all, really. Koji couldn't see his face, but his back had gone taught and his head was inclined downward. As if he was staring at something on the floor. Then his entire body spasmed as if he'd tried to get up and remain seated at the same time, his breath quickening through his nose. Koji started forward, but stopped himself. They were still in class, and Koichi hadn't called out or reached for him in any way. If he wanted help, Koji reasoned, then he would ask for it. And if he didn't, then he certainly didn't want his over-protective brother making a scene. His fingers curled into fists on his desktop as he forced his weight back into the chair.

"This isn't real."

Koji's jaw tightened; something was happening, he could feel it. This wasn't right- whatever it was it wasn't right. He tried to reach out with his thoughts but was thrown back by some force. A frown creased his brow as he scooted forward in his seat in a subconscious attempt to get closer. It could've been Koichi; this certainly wouldn't have been the first time such an event had transpired. But it didn't _feel_ like Koichi. This force was cold and unyielding, unlike anything he'd felt from his brother since… Koichi shuddered, letting out a sharp exhalation. For a moment Koji saw the something, a black gel oozing across his twin's desk and climbing up his legs. Sudden nausea rolled in his stomach, contradicting the instinctual, reactionary disbelief that was thrashing in his skull. Then Koichi stood up and the vision was gone. His own chair scraped loudly as he followed suit, leaning over his desk towards his brother. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by their teacher.

"What is it now," the man said in an irritated voice, turning slowly towards the class, eyes settling on the brothers. "Kimura? Kimura, you look a little pale. Perhaps you should go to the infirmary and rest."

Koichi just stared forward dumbly, his panting breaths heavy in Koji's ears. It made him sick to hear, to be watching his brother struggle without _feeling_ it in the way he was so accustomed. It made the whole thing seem… not real…

"I'll take him," Koji volunteered, stepping out from behind his desk and making a move towards his twin. There was a moment of uncertainty, fingertips brushing across his consciousness and the memory of fear. He tried to grab onto it, to hold Koichi's mental presence just as he would his unsteady body. But then the cold came back, frigid and certain and definitely coming from Koichi. And it needed no help nor comfort. Without a word or a backward glance, he turned away from Koji and strode from the room, closing the sliding door behind him with a snap. Koji made a move to follow him.

"Sit down, Minamoto. Your brother is not made of glass; I'm sure he can get himself to the infirmary. Besides, after that last exam score I believe you could benefit from lecture."

He didn't sit down. If looks could kill, that teacher would've been gutted on the spot. Koji had never been much of a fan of authority anyway and now, with everything that had happened, with his (albeit kind of unproven) suspicion that his twin needed him… well, let's just say he didn't appreciate having it rubbed in his face. With a disdainful snort, Koji made a move towards the door, but the history teacher seemed equally determined to frustrate him further. Striking the chalkboard a little harder than was necessary, he made a threat Koji couldn't ignore.

"Sit. Down. Or the principal will have to hear about your continuing obstinacy. And I will see that disciplinary action is taken."

Koji ground his teeth, his muscles moving in opposite directions as he tried to disobey and recognized that, if he wanted to have a future after this crisis, he could not leave class now. His instincts were hazy at best and no matter how he spun it, there was no rational reason to follow Koichi. He was on school grounds, safe behind the gate at least until the end of class. At the moment, it was Koji who was in trouble. Could he really afford to be penalized, held up after school for some disciplinary committee? Did Koichi have the time for him to be punished?

Growling with effort, Koji lowered himself back down into the chair seat. His hard eyes drilled holes in the teachers back and his body went predator-still. A rage that had no description seethed in his chest, causing it to ache. He hadn't been this angry since… Since the last time he'd felt that kind of cold emanate from his brother. Communicated through crimson blades and shadowed eyes. Seconds ticked by, as if the entire day was conspiring against him, speeding and slowing time to extend moments of pain into an eternity. To leave him alone with his most dismal fantasies and fears, giving them forever to gnaw in his mind.

 _Koichi, alone in the black, his body suspended as if in a pool of water. A pike of blood red lightning strikes him through the chest. His body jerks, arching, head thrown back. Air hisses through his teeth, his eyes stretch wide open. The pike doesn't exit through his back; his body takes it in and the red pulses around him, encasing him. Consuming him…_

Koji's lips parted as he took in a shaking breath, a sudden and inexplicable chill pricking the skin on the back of his neck. It wasn't a vision, so to speak. More like an impression… His mind trying to make sense of sudden knowledge. How this knowledge had come to be or why it existed was irrelevant. Koichi needed him. Now.

The chair made a deafening noise as it fell over backwards, striking the ground and causing the room to jump. Maybe the teacher said something, maybe he'd resigned himself to the disturbances. Maybe he'd turned into a giant chicken and laid an egg on his desk. Koji didn't notice or care. He was gone before anyone could so much as turn to look at him, tearing through the sliding door into the hall. His hands found the windowsill, gripping it with white knuckles as his eyes scanned the courtyard. He didn't know what, exactly, he was looking for, but his new insights told him it was there. In the alley between buildings: two figures. One on his knees and the other squatting before him. Touching him… Cursing his slippers and all Japanese customs, Koji took off again, slipping and sliding down the hall and stairs. Foregoing his shoes, he burst outside, looking around wildly. His gaze found its target. Their eyes met. Her lips moved.

"Hey," he yelled, advancing. "Get the **hell** away from my brother!"

Her retreat was quicker than he'd anticipated, moving with inhuman speed down the alley and around the back of one of the buildings. A part of him wanted dearly to go after her, to catch her and thereby destroy Tache's entire sick plan. But the impression had been clear and his brother needed his attention.

"Koichi," he called as he got closer, throwing himself into the dirt at the elder twin's side. "Koichi, are you alright?"

Koichi didn't respond or acknowledge his presence in any way. His hands were hanging at his sides, fingers flexed and twitching in pulses that seemed to radiate through his entire body. Blood was pooling in his ears, his eyes directed forward, staring into oblivion, pupils much too dilated to be natural. And whatever he saw… must've been horrible. Tears shown in the dark, glistening as they welled up from somewhere deep in his soul. The coldness was all around, but now, in their moment of closeness, Koji realized something that curdled his blood. It wasn't coming from Koichi. Rather, the freezing will that was dictating every move they made was passing _through_ him. It had him caged.

 _He reached out to touch his brother's shoulder and the contact sends ice through both of them. Koichi's head rolled forward, neck exposed. Black roots radiate out from the spine, reaching up into his hair, around to his throat. Black gel oozes from the walls, dripping on him. It burns like acid._

Koji felt his whole body convulse as a wave of sickness passed over him. What was-? Again the pain and nausea came, filtering through every fiber in his being, and again was gone. For the first time he noticed the insidious disposable cell the girl had left before his twin. As his eyes settle on it another wave forced him to double over. Planting one hand in the dust to stabilize himself, Koji reached for the box. 'Break it,' he thought. 'Stop it.' His fingers curled around its hard form… Then his mind went blank.


	21. The Dark Ocean I

The time scale of the body, of the senses and electricity firing through the flesh, is profoundly different from that of the conscious mind. Neurons communicate electrochemically, in bursts of neurotransmitter and waves of ions, proteins twisting and distorting at a rate we can hardly comprehend. On average, a neuronal message is conducted at 3,560 m/sec. Not quite on the order of light, but about 10x faster than sound through air. In a single instant, the brain processes millions if not billions of these signals, measuring skin and gut temperatures, nutrients in the blood, metals in the kidneys, rates of metabolism, the disturbance of microscopic hairs suspended in fluid. The list goes on and on, an every flowing, ever changing system of such magnitude that to consider the entire thing at once is simply impossible.

Yet the brain does it. Constantly. And it takes this information, these incalculable inputs, and through a process of pros and cons more complicated than anyone truly understands, it makes decisions; most of which we aren't even conscious. Somehow, it understands. Even signals that do not originate within the body are processed, interpreted, and provoke a response. Electrical stimulation of the reticular formation results in sleep while stimulation of the scalp near the temporal and parietal lobes at a frequency of 25-40 Hz can induce lucid dreams. And a dream is an eternity in a grain of sand.

What transpired was no more than half a second as measured by a clock. But to Koichi, the horrors went on for minutes. Shizuka moved swiftly out of his field of vision, her presence leaving a tear in reality as he understood it. The edges were frayed, strings of existence and matter untwining into oblivion. Beyond them there was a darkness so powerful it enveloped him. Crashing over his body and mind, drowning him. His tired brain worked to filter it all, to condense the knowledge that was flowing through him into something he could comprehend. One world dissolved away and he found himself somewhere quite different.

 _Black water lapped at his feet, swelling and retreating like current through a wire. It was cold, painfully so, and if he'd had a choice Koichi would've retreated to the shore. But there was no shore, no land, no escape from the endless ocean. For a long while he just stared at it, watching the rhythm play with his shoelaces and pant legs, push and pull. Hypnotic. His breath made clouds before his eyes. Salt water dripped from his hair. Then the voices started, jumbled and infinite as the water. The individual words of each phrase were overlaid so it was impossible to listen to just one, yet still he understood._

 _ **They'll never notice. Why would they contaminate their perfect lives with you?**_

 _ **You're too small and insignificant. Your life has no meaning.**_

 _ **Weakness is your disease. Helpless. Nothing you do can change anything.**_

 _ **No one is coming for you. No one cares.**_

 _ **You're not good enough. You have to be smarter, stronger, faster, better at everything.**_

 _The voices… they were all his. His words, his thoughts, his secret terrors given form. But he hadn't felt that way in a long time, not since before Duskmon. He'd conquered those fears and shed that pain. Why were they back now? Where was it all coming from?_

 _There was a great tree in the distance, with a thick trunk and hundreds of bare branches. Without moving he was closer, just meters away, completely under its canopy. Something was… wrong with it, something besides the fact that there was a tree in the middle of an ocean at all. The roots… they didn't go down. Instead the pale flesh rose out of the water, reaching up and out to just about eye level. Some of the roots had nodules of swirling, inky blackness beaded at their tips, like huge drips of some liquid, and it was from these nodules that the voices originated. The rest- Koichi shuddered, his hands balling into fists, too disgusted and angry to look away. People. The roots were burrowed into people, attached through the nape of the neck. Some had clearly been there for a long time; the white, spongy wood had coiled around their entire body, encasing them. Trapping them._

 _Others were fresher prey. As he watched, a boy appeared in the ocean, black hair cut short, square jaw slack. One of the free roots came to life, slithering forward through the air, offering the black sack like some kind of lure._ _ **Another test like that and you won't graduate, let alone get into university. You're an embarrassment, the least of four sons. But it's not your fault; your brothers are to blame. They steal what admiration should be yours and sabotage you at every turn. You want to best them, to destroy them. We share the darkness within you. We understand and we can give you the power to do as you will.**_ _ **Take it. Take what belongs to you- what should be yours.**_ _He reached out with both hands, cradling the black as the root dispensed it into his palms. It swirled for a moment around his fingertips, then, as the root tip found its mark in the back of his neck, it burst. The boy arched his back in a silent scream, dark gel climbing up his nerves and turning his eyes grey. Then it was over and his body and soul went numb. Koichi remembered that feeling, the release of it. The sensation of being swallowed…_

" _No," he called out, his frozen limbs jerking into uncoordinated action as he stumbled forward. The water sucked at his feet, as if trying to restrain him. 'Don't interfere,' it seemed to say. 'This is right; don't try to fight it.' Koichi didn't listen. Refusing to heed the ocean's warnings, he made his way to the boy, grasping him by the shoulders. "I know how you feel, but you can't give in to these thoughts," he pleaded. The boy didn't answer. He didn't so much as twitch._

 _ **Where is it written that they should be happy while you suffer? If anyone deserves what you endure it's them. The insignificant people. Make them see that. Force them to care.**_

 _A girl with dyed auburn hair and a round face approached another root, hands outstretched._

" _No, don't listen! It's not true, none of it! You can't believe it; you can't let it dictate your decisions!"_

 _Her fingertips brushed the darkness and it enveloped her before Koichi could take two steps. Tears of empathy and frustration welled in his eyes as he watched, helpless. Forced to listen as the assumptions and false promises he'd so recklessly fallen for five years ago consumed soul after soul. Destroyed life after life._

 _"Please," he breathed to nothing and everything. "Please don't…"_

" _Why not?" He started, face turning towards the tree trunk with such speed his wet hair sprayed water in all directions. This voice wasn't his, but he recognized it nonetheless. Its form was more defined this time, still composed of smoke but with recognizable features. Wide eyes peered out at him from a face that was not ethnically Japanese. He could make out a nose and mouth too, but the mist of Its skin made it impossible to accurately describe their exact shape. It had hair, but that too was dynamic, one moment long and flowing, short and feathery the next. Everything about It was still inky black, like some sort of imaginary horror from a child's closet. It wasn't a person he'd ever seen before, but there was no mistaking that distorted voice. Tache…_

" _Let them go," Koichi demanded, skipping all pretenses and advancing on It. It didn't move or even flinch, tilting her head to acknowledge his displeasure, but clearly not threatened by it. Its black eyes blinked in bemusement, an uncertain smile curving Its mouth._

" _Why," It repeated. "These people are suffering, but they're too weak to do anything about it. Their hearts are breeding darkness. I turn that darkness into power, you know that. They need this."_

" _They_ _ **do not**_ _need this! Do you even know what you're doing to them? What you're forcing them to do to others?"_

" _They_ _ **want**_ _this."_

 _Koichi couldn't say anything to that. Couldn't deny or refute it. After all, in some twisted, backwards way, he had wanted it. He had allowed himself to become lost in his own grief, allowed himself to create shadows of his brother so he could blame Koji for things that couldn't be his fault. In the end, he'd let anger and jealousy twist his soul so much, the corrupted Spirit of Darkness had chosen him. Of all the evil in the Digital world, over Cherubimon himself, the Spirit has selected him. And he had relished the power, the ability to remake the world as he willed, the numbness. Darkness had made the pain stop. But it hadn't fixed the underlying cause. If anything it had made his situation worse. What we want is so rarely what we should have… His gaze faltered as his eyes searched for something he couldn't name. Tache's smile widened, savoring Its victory as It reached out to Koichi, barely brushing his cheek with the backs of Its fingers._

" _You remember what it's like," It whispered to him. He jerked away, giving It a livid look. It snorted disdainfully, withdrawing Its hand. "Yet you would deny them the very relief you once sought? You would deny them that which gives your life meaning?"_

" _That's not what I am anymore; I'm not a tool for your darkness," he hissed. "I don't need you like you need me. I don't need you to be complete."_

" _Don't you? Where would you be if it weren't for me? I'm the part of you that decided to take action, however misguided you believe that action to be."_

" _I don't know what you are, but you're not any part of me."_

" _Really? If_ _ **we**_ _hadn't pursued Koji down the stairs, if_ _ **we**_ _hadn't accepted that Spirit, then what do you think would've happened? Do you think you would've miraculously worked up the courage to talk to him? Do you think you even had the stomach to confront him? Lie to yourself as it pleases you, but not to me. You're weak, Koichi. I have always been and always will be your strength. You need me, just like the rest of these people need me. We are meant for greatness, you and I."_

" _ **We**_ _are meant for nothing. It doesn't matter what you say or do to me, I won't give you what you want. I will never let myself become your pawn."_

" _Pawn? How little you understand," It snorted. "We will be the same being, I could not control you any more than you could control me. I'm already inside you, Koichi, why is it so hard for you to admit that?"_

" _Because it's a lie!" He'd meant to sound indignant, even a little offended, but his voice broke with defensive uncertainty. Tache leaned closer, Its smile wrinkling Its nose as It taunted him._

" _What do you think your abilities are? This sensitivity you have to my call? How do you think it is that you're here now, in the Dark Ocean, talking to me? It is no accident that the Children of Darkness can communicate wirelessly, that they're stronger, smarter, more agile than the rest of your insect race. My followers are injected with particles from this host's cerebrospinal fluid, particles created by my presence. Particles that your body has been generating ever since your soul came back from the Digital World. True, they're not the same as mine. Rather, they're the other half, the missing organ. The more contact you have with me, the more frequently you use my gifts, the more active they'll become."_

" _That's not true… It can't be true…"_

" _Your body is honest, Koichi. It wants to be whole. Resist now, if you must, but your strength will wane. You know it, your friends know it." Its eyes moved meaningfully over his shoulder, Its face contorting into a monstrous expression of pure glee. "And, most importantly,_ _ **he**_ _knows it."_

 _Koichi spun around, his heart pounding in sudden terror as adrenaline shot through his blood like a narcotic. Koji was standing behind him, maybe ten or so meters back, hair and clothes soaked from the ocean spray. He had a confused expression in his eyes, though his ever stoic face refused to betray any uncertainty, as if he didn't understand where he was or how he'd gotten there. His navy gaze swept the landscape, taking in the tree and water, yet somehow still unseeing. No look of disgust or fear came into his face as they moved over the white roots, no sign that he understood they were buried in people instead of soil. Nor did he recognize Koichi was there. Just as before, a black nodule twitched at the new presence, reaching for his flesh and soul in unrestrained hunger. Koji moved forward as if to investigate, entranced by the bizarreness of his circumstance._

" ** _No_** _," Koichi cried, wanting to move yet somehow paralyzed._

" _It truly is a novelty to see a Chosen of Light in the Dark World," Tache said mildly. "And to possess one has been an unrealized dream for a long time." Rage surged forth within him, overcoming the fear for an instant. He rounded on It, grabbing It by the arms._

" _Don't you touch him! Don't you DARE touch him!"_

" _I don't decide who comes to me! The tree calls to the secrets in people's hearts and grants them the relief they so desperately require. Maybe it's_ _you_ _who shouldn't touch him."_

 _ **You hate the weakness inside you, your own helplessness, your ineptness. But more than that, you hate that it's so visible. Even your own brother can see it. That's why he's lost faith in you. That's why he doesn't trust you anymore. How horrible it must be, to have alienated your own twin. You must feel truly pathetic.**_

" _What?" Koichi released Tache, turning back to his brother, eyes wide in cold, horrible realization. "Is that what you… No! Koji, that's not it at all!"_

 _ **You're too preoccupied, too selfish, and you're going to loose him again. You can't protect him, even if he'd let you. Koichi will be devoured by the darkness and there isn't a thing you can do about it.**_

" _That's a lie!" His heart was pounding in his ears, legs straining against the water as he ran to Koji's side. The younger twin didn't notice; his eyes were fixed on the black nodule a root was presenting to him, regarding it with a naïve sadness Koichi had never seen before. He knew what was happening inside his twin's mind, the futile battle he was fighting against his own doubts, his own nightmares as they were laid before him like facts from some external force. When they're just in your head it's one thing, but to hear your darkest fears from another is something else entirely. As if someone else's opinion makes them more valid… Koichi thrust himself between the root and his brother, wrapping his arms around Koji's neck and trying to forcibly drag him away from the tree. A single thought repeated in his mind, pulsing in his very being and giving him strength he didn't think possible:_

Not him.

Koichi's entire body convulsed when Koji touched the black phone as if run through by a powerful current. Life came back into his eyes and he sucked air into his lungs through a contracted windpipe. The blood droplets in his ears broke free and rolled down the sides of his neck, leaving two shining paths of cold red in their wake. His head felt like something was trying to claw and scream its way out of the confines of his skull, and the rest of his nerves weren't doing much better. But he didn't care. None of that mattered. Nothing mattered except keeping Tache's poison out of his twin's mind. He lurched forward, hands grabbing at the disposable cell in a frenzy, prying it from Koji's fingers. Then, with every bit of loathing he had for the corruption that had once dictated his life, with every ounce of protective instinct he possessed, Koichi threw it against the opposite brick wall. It fractured on impact, sparking and hissing as if in defeat, then landed harmlessly in the dirt.

Koji blinked, giving his head a gentle shake as if to clear it of a fog, like waking up from an unplanned nap. He felt a little disoriented, unsure of how he'd wound up outside and why he was on all fours in the dirt. Then he remembered himself. In a single, fluid motion he straightened, moving his weight to his knees and his hands to his brother. Koichi had crumpled backwards, his back pressed to the shadowed brick wall, chin lulling against his heaving chest. Koji gently, but firmly, grabbed the sides of his face, moving his head this way and that, checking him over. Of foremost concern was the back of Koichi's neck, but once he'd assured himself that there were no roots or disfigurements of any sort growing there, the light twin moved to more physical matters. Blood made sticky tracks from his ears into his collar and his skin was unnaturally cold. Though his pupils had returned to normal, the capillaries in his eyes were terribly inflamed, turning the sclera bright red. His skin had gone too pale, making the bags under his eyes look even more bruise-like.

"I'm okay," he said in a low, dry voice, "I'm okay, I just… need a minute."

"No. No you're not okay; you're collapsed in an alley bleeding out your ears." Unabashed worry made Koji's voice raw and, though his examination was complete, he didn't let go of his brother. Koichi raised one weak hand and hooked it on his wrist, giving him a tired, defeated look. Koji stared back, equally defeated, pleading. "None of this is okay."

"I'm sorry," he whispered, fresh tears welling in his bloodstained eyes. "I'm so sorry Koji. I swore I'd never hurt you again, but here I am. I never meant- I didn't want- I trust you, Koji. You have to know that I trust you."

"And _you_ have to know I'm not scared of you. I'm afraid of _loosing_ you- do you understand that? Let me help you. Tell me what to do. Tell me what's happening, _please_."

Koichi bit his lower lip, fear and resignation battling in his gaze. He wanted to be honest with his twin, to tell him everything and more, but he also wanted to protect him. The tree's lure had already caught him once, if he knew of its existence, of its power, could it do so again? And what of Shizuka's threat? Koji returned his look with equal intensity, unblinking and unyielding, like the first brilliant rays of dawn.

"Do you remember," the dark twin asked uncertainly. "Did you see it?"

Koji's brow wrinkled in confusion and his gaze faltered as he searched his brain for what Koichi might be referring to.

"I remember seeing _her_ leaning over you," he started, his face working. "I remember that damned phone, picking it up and trying to break it. Then next thing I knew you'd gotten it away from me and were throwing it against the wall."

Koichi let out a sigh that was impossible to interpret, tugging his head softly out of Koji's grip. His hands hovered for a moment then, desperate to maintain contact, settled on the dark twin's shoulders. Koichi reached around his brother's arms, tracing the cold smear from his ears and staring down the alley.

"There was water- an ocean," he started. Then his voice caught and he licked his lips, chancing a glance at Koji. "An ocean made of pain and resentment and pride. I've never seen it before but it felt familiar, somehow. Like the place where Cherubimon first found me, after I fell down the stairs at the train station. And **he** was there, only different, not a he but a she."

"Tache," Koji clarified, frowning as his grip on his brother's shoulders tightened involuntarily. "You saw Tache?" Koichi shook his head in a nondescript direction, trying not to make eye contact. As if doing so would somehow shatter whatever detachment from the actual event he'd managed to achieve. As it meeting Koji's eye would somehow make it too real.

"I _spoke_ to Tache. It's host, the girl it's taken over, she's European, I think. Or at least not Japanese. She told me… She told me how the cult is held together, how it lures and changes people, and how the signal fits in. There's something _inside them_ , Koji. Something that can convert wireless data into thought and back again."

"What do you mean by something?"

The question came out before Koji had finished his mental reevaluation of the situation and decided, important as it may be to get the facts before Koichi forgot them or his memory warped them, he didn't really want to continue interrogating his brother. Koichi's expression was strategically blank, and yet had a look that was so full of despair, so broken and hollow, that Koji's heart physically began to ache. Now, more so than ever before, he felt aware of his twin in a very total sense. Body, mind, and soul. He had to know why; how could he possibly do anything to help if he didn't understand why! But he didn't want to ask, either…

"If this signal thing needs some kind of special converter before it can be understood by Tache's cult, if there has to be 'something inside them,' then how is it effecting you?"

Koichi's head leaned back against the wall, his hand dropping limply into his lap, jaw tightening in preparation. Koji's mouth went dry even before he spoke as the cold radiating from the older brother settled in his stomach. For a moment he wanted to take back the question, to just hold his brother close and pretend that could make it all better. At the same time he understood that this was the big secret, the wedge between them, the thing he had to do to mend their fraternal bond. This truth was how they got back to the way they'd been, back to the unity they'd had five years ago. They both needed to hear it spoken, to digest it and share it. Only then could they move forward. The answer was imminent.

"Because…" God, he didn't want to admit it. "Because it's inside me too."


	22. The Dark Ocean II

Honesty is always the best policy, and, if we're being honest, espionage was totally on Takuya's to-do list. He'd seen it on TV, read it in mangas and the like, even done a little in the Digital World if you were liberal with the definition. The thought of being a spy, breaking in and stealing confidential information without leaving a trace, it was just so epic. When he did it in his fantasies it was epic. When he saw it in a movie it was epic. So why was it that when he finally got a chance to do some espionage in the real world it was so… not epic.

The apartment complex Dorian had chosen to squat in was absurdly easy to get into. Probably why Dorian had picked it to begin with. But being able to simply duck under some red tape and slip through a cracked door just took all the fun out of this "finding out what Dorian was hiding" business. And there was precious little fun involved to begin with. He had to take advantage of it as it came. Izumi seemed less concerned with things like fun and spy-work. She'd changed out of her horrible brown uniform before they'd met up and was now sporting a pair of purple bell-bottoms and a loose top. Discrete was clearly not one of her objectives and she made quite the contrast to Takuya in his black jacket and pants. Of the two, though, she was definitely more anxious.

When he'd first picked her up from school with a punctuality that suggested he might've skipped out on his classmates a little early, she'd been all smiles. They'd chatted idly on the train about this and that, simple things, things normal couples chatted about. Takuya and Izumi had never had a problem with communication or finding topics for conversation in the Digital World, and not much had changed during the five years that followed. But when they pulled into the station their minds had turned to the task at hand, and silence fell. An understanding had already been reached and neither had any more words to express what they were feeling. Now there was only anticipation… and fear for what came after. Find something and be forced to deal with Dorian's treachery. Find nothing and face their own uselessness. Neither was particularly appealing.

"So," Takuya said when they finally reached Dorian's apartment, pausing to scratch his head. Izumi, who was already reaching for the door handle, hesitated, her jade eyes flicking to him uncertainly. "You sure you wanna do this?"

"Yeah," she nodded, swallowing. It was conspiratorial, the two of them breaking in and going through Dorian's things. And that would be fine, except neither of them had thought to call Koji and let him and his brother in on it (Koichi didn't carry a cell phone). Of course, they planned to share whatever they found, but still, it didn't feel right. Nothing felt right anymore. Izumi's face hardened and she gave a sharp nod. "Yeah, I'm sure. There's something in here and we need to know what it is. We can't help Koichi if Dorian's holding all the cards."

"Okay then." Takuya slipped his hand under Izumi's and grasped the doorknob so her fingers were resting on his knuckles. Then he gave it a sharp twist and pushed it open. "No lock," he said, surprised.

Izumi made a sound that was both disinterested and confused, brushing by Takuya and entering. The windows had no blinds, so light streamed in unhindered, glinting off the solar panels in the window and making what felt like a foreboding place seem innocently bright. Dorian had taken out the trash and made his bed since they'd visited and, though there was no explicit evidence, Izumi got the impression that he hadn't been there in a while. The air was stale and heavy, like the air deep in a cave or an old temple. It made the skin on the back of her neck prickle, heightening her sense of intuition. Something was here.

"Hey." Takuya's voice made her jump, which in turn made him laugh sheepishly. He followed her into the room and gestured vaguely at a corner off to her right. Back in the shadows where none of them had thought to look the last time they were there. Izumi followed his gaze, her brow wrinkling. She'd assumed it was a bathroom, but upon further investigation that was clearly to the left; the door was open and light from another window shining on the white sink basin, reflecting in the mirror. "Is that a room?"

"Lets go see," she said, forcing optimism into her voice. The purpose of this optimism was ambiguous, but she felt it was important to remain positive. In six steps she'd moved around the table and back into the corner, pulling out her cell phone to use the screen as a flashlight. The cell charm made a jingling noise as she held it up, illuminating what lay beyond the threshold. "Takuya," she called, uncertainty making her voice higher. "Come look at this."

Whatever kind of sick, frigid ball of fear that had been lodged in Takuya's throat for the past week suddenly dropped into his stomach. Before Izumi had a chance to check over her shoulder he was by her side, his own phone adding to the light in the room. Because it was, indeed, a room. The door had been left open and the darkness inside was oppressive. So much so that the feeble light from the threshold could barely pierce it, making what was hollow look like little more than a wall without closer inspection. Well, they were looking now, and incriminating didn't even begin to describe what they saw.

The ceiling was made of wires and cables, some insulated with black and red rubber, others bundles of clear fiber optics that seemed to glow in the pale light. Following the wires led to a shelf at the back of the room, loaded with black boxes and electrical boards arranged almost haphazardly in the tangled net of copper. There must've been a hole or something in the bottom because a single bundle of chords descended from the chaos. About halfway down its length it split into two, one went to what looked like a multiple device charging station on a table to the left. The other frayed into hundreds of tiny strands, each descending to a unique electrode on what was they could only guess was a brain-computer helmet thing. Beside it was a chair, an arched neck rest flowing into an ergonomically sound back support. There was rather a lot of padding. Too much padding… The armrests had wrist straps like those one might see at a psychiatric facility and there was another hanging off to the side that was clearly meant to restrain the chest. A third was settled in the seat around where the occupant's lap would be; thus, whoever had the misfortune of sitting in this chair would be completely immobilized.

Something glistened in the headpiece and down the spine. Recovering from the initial shock of their discovery, Izumi moved forward to investigate. Takuya, less certain that he really wanted to know what they were dealing with, trailed her reluctantly. As she got closer, the light of her phone caught the material, shining through it and reflecting off it at the same time like plastic. Wordlessly, she transferred the cell to her non-dominant hand and reached out with one finger, suspiciously pressing against the coating. It gave way beneath her touch, allowing her to reach all the way to the much harder chair back. She started, pulling back, then found herself even more surprised. The material released her without leaving any residue, returning to its original shape without fuss. Like some kind of gel pack. Biting her lip, Izumi fidgeted for a moment, then decided that she needed to repeat the maneuver on the helmet. This time the gel was less compliant. The second her skin brushed its surface it gave her a gentle shock, no more painful than one caused by static but surprising nevertheless. Izumi yelped, pulling her hand to her chest and recoiling. The data boards above the chair flashed, sending a yellow light down to the table and along the ceiling. In unison they watched the light go to the door, then, in unison, their eyes settled on a figure in that door, hearts stopping.

"Find what you were expecting," Dorian's voice asked casually. His face was in shadow, but his outline was very visible and it didn't seem to hold any tension.

"What the hell is this," Takuya demanded, anger overriding any sense of shame or fear he might've been experiencing as he advanced on the foreign Digidestined, pointing back at the chair.

"This," he gestured vaguely to the back of the room, entirely unconcerned. "Is exactly what it looks like."


	23. Coming Undone I

It had never been a secret that the twins had something kinda off about them, something the other kids simply couldn't relate to. They were normal enough in conversation or group projects, but that was assuming you could coax either one into such things. Most of the time they were caught up in their own little "being twins" world and everyone could see it. There was something else too, an awareness no one could name. It was more pronounced in the one with short hair, Koichi, but sometimes, Koji's kendo club mates remarked, it was like he too had an almost psychic knowledge of where his brother was. What he was feeling…

Maybe it was an _identical_ twin thing. Maybe it came with living with someone who had a chronic illness like his brother did. Koichi couldn't sit too close to the window, had to have special lights in class, and was frequently struck by cold or dizzy spells. This made him extra odd and thus isolated him from the class, keeping any admirers, who would've otherwise swarmed around him hoping for attention, at bay. Actually, truth be told, it kind of kept anyone who might seek attention from the twins at bay. Both twins had their fair share of admirers, girls giggling behind their backs, chocolates on Valentines Day, that sort of thing, but unlike the popular kids in other classes, Koji and Koichi were typically left alone. Nothing they did surprised anyone. No one interfered with their lives.

This suited Koji just fine. He knew full well that they'd made a scene earlier, but unlike his brother, he really didn't care. Didn't feel the slightest bit embarrassed then and he certainly didn't feel any shame walking in while everyone else was cleaning up, grabbing his and his brother's bags, and leaving without a word. Nor was he fazed by the peculiar stares he received guarding the bathroom door while Koichi washed the blood from his ears and neck. Or the judgment faces when they brazenly walked by classrooms filled with club meetings or homework groups on their way out. Thankfully, he'd already told his kendo buddies that morning he was going to miss the club meeting, thus sparing them the shock of him simply not showing up. At Koichi's insistence, he'd also called the coffee shop to spare them the shock of his brother also not showing up. Diplomatic was not the word to describe the exchange, and it was fortunate for all involved that Koichi's boss liked both him and his father. Koji had neither the time nor the patience to indulge societal niceties. His brother needed to be home, needed to rest, and then they needed to _do_ something. They had to get it out of him…

Umbrellas are not an uncommon way to stay out of the sun in Japan, so the twin boys were able to blend into the bobbing mass going to the train station. A little less common are public displays of intimacy, especially between boys. So in that regard, they blended in to a lesser extent. On most days this would've bugged Koji so much he'd keep his distance from the older twin. Today, Koichi was broken, tired eyes still squinting behind his sunglasses, both his body and mind leaning against Koji. Yet at the same time things were different. More controlled… Koichi wasn't _in_ his mind like some sort of intruder. Rather, he felt aware of his twin's condition, felt himself leaning back on his brother, and somehow this was no more intrusive or intimate than looking at him. For the first time since the Digital World, the phrase "sixth sense" aptly applied. It was the rest of the world that felt foreign, like some alien force observing them as they moved through the crowd, arms interlaced. Enemies were everywhere, yet at the same time Koji knew they weren't being followed or stalked. The storm had done its damage and passed… for now.

They had just gotten off at the Gaienmae station and started heading back to their dad's house when Koji's phone buzzed against his thigh. Koichi started at the noise, throwing his twin an almost panicked look as adrenaline surged through the two of them in unison. Then the phone continued to buzz and the world continued to turn and he relaxed, laughing a little at his own jumpiness. Koji gave him a soft grin, handing him the umbrella and digging out his cell. Kanbara flashed across the screen in bold letters.

"Takuya," Koji greeted, steering his brother off to a storefront so they could talk away from the crowd. Koichi pursed his lips nervously, then tugged at Koji's arm, moving into the shadowed alley between stores and removing his glasses. He blinked at his twin, pupils wide and glinting in the dark. Koji stayed in the light.

"Hey buddy," Takuya answered, his voice loud enough for Koichi to hear. "What's up?"

"Nothing good," said Koji with a short, mirthless snort. "I was actually going to call you when we got home. We need to talk."

"Koichi's not going to work?"

"No." Short. No further explanation. Takuya sighed through his nose and shifted nervously, the rustle of cloth coming across the line like static.

"Well, umm, I guess that's good because… Is he okay?"

"No." This time the word came off as a little annoyed, even indignant, as if Koji was offended that he'd had the audacity to even ask. Koichi frowned, giving his brother a scolding look.

"I can speak for myself," he whispered, holding out his hand for the phone pointedly. Koji pulled away just a little, unwilling to relinquish control of the conversation just yet. He did, however, rephrase.

"He's better now than he was. We were heading to our dad's to get our stuff when you called."

"Ask him if he's okay to swing by Dorian's first." Takuya's voice became suddenly rushed and high, nervousness oozing through the line. He was obviously agitated and had given up trying to play it cool. "He's back and, well, just come by okay? Me and Izumi are already here."

"Takuya, this is not a good day!"

"It's fine." Koichi didn't keep his voice down this time, intentionally speaking towards the receiver so Takuya could at least hear he'd said something. Then, softening his tone just a little and giving Koji a deep look, he added: "There are some things they need to know before this goes any further."

"It can wait," Koji said flatly, pulling the phone away from his ear and pressing it to his chest.

"No, it can't." The twins' eyes locked and something more than words passed between them. "I know you understand."

"Tch," Koji put the cell back up to his ear and, talking over whatever Takuya had been monologuing while they had their brother's moment, gave him his answer. "We're about 20 minutes away by subway."

"Do you want us to meet you at the station?" Izumi's voice asked. Koji rolled his eyes: speakerphone. Great.

"I'll let you know, but for now just assume we both can walk."

* * *

Takuya listened to the dial tone for a solid thirty seconds after Koji hung up. There was something very fatalistic about it, like a bell toll or a heart monitor. An emotion of some sort burned in his stomach, something he couldn't really articulate or understand, but it was there nevertheless. Uneasy. Guilty? Izumi pursed her lips and reached out to him, her cool fingers brushing the back of his hand as she gently pushed it down. He worked his mouth into a small smile, then his brown eyes moved to Dorian. His stare was not friendly, but it wasn't outright hostile, either. The Warrior of Wind followed his gaze, her jade eyes narrowing.

Eager as they both were to crucify this psycho, he'd unfortunately gotten in some very valid points before they'd had the chance. The Frenchman had coaxed them back into the main room with promises of explanations and assurances that no secrets had, in fact, been discovered. He'd been planning on contacting them anyway, had learned a few things about the cult during his absence, that sort of thing. What had finally won them over wasn't the assurances and blasé dismissal of their concerns, but Dorian's own insistence that the twins be called in. He was the one that wanted to be honest, keep everyone in the loop. And, in the name of transparency, he wasn't going to disclose anything "vital" until they were all present. Wasn't that what they were here for to begin with? Wasn't that what they wanted from him, transparency? Still…

"They're coming," he surmised, running his fingers through coffee brown hair to push it from his face. Despite the impending summer heat, Dorian had his white scarf draped around his neck, untied and even. Maybe he was genuinely chilly; it was surprisingly cool in the apartment. But there was something about the way he fingered it, as if to check and make sure it was still there. Izumi hadn't noticed that before…

"They're about 15 minutes Southeast of Shinjuku," Takuya answered shortly, his jaw working unnecessarily hard. Dorian nodded, glancing over at the door anyway. This irritated Takuya, fanning the flame of his anger and fear into a sudden outburst he couldn't stop. "You had better have a damn good reason for this."

"I do," Dorian said mildly, moving to the window and occupying himself with his solar panels. "Then again, I would say I've a 'damn good' reason for everything that I do. Anyone would."

"And just what is that supposed to mean," Izumi snapped, her own agitation flaring. Her fingers were still lingering on Takuya's hand and, for lack of anything else to do, she made to grab it. Then she remembered that that hand was holding a cell phone and thus unavailable, so she grabbed that instead, snapped it closed loudly, and shoved it into his pocket. All without looking at the foreign Digidestined. This seemed to suit him just fine; his icy blue eyes stared out at the Tokyo cityscape, pensive. For a man in such a precarious position, he was oddly calm.

"Is there anyone who honestly perceives their actions to be entirely unjustified? Do people exist that would take an action they _believe_ to be misguided? Everyone does what _they think_ is right, regardless of the objective truth of a matter."

"I'm sorry, I don't know too much about French culture. Are you making small talk?" Takuya grinned a little more earnestly at that, thankful he wasn't the target of her biting remarks.

"I'm making a point, one that I think might be important for you two to grasp before the brothers get here."

"I thought you said you didn't want to have this little meeting without them." Dorian sighed in exasperation, throwing Takuya a vexed look. Takuya shrugged, unsympathetic.

"I hate having to repeat myself, so I'm holding off on any conversations regarding Tache and his cult. Unfortunately, he's not the only thing the **three of us** need to worry about."

"If you're trying to get at something just spit it out," shot Takuya, wrapping an arm around Izumi's waist and pulling her close. The message was clear: _you_ are not a part of _us_. Dorian slid his jaw sideways, running his tongue over his upper lip as he tried too hard to ignore the gesture.

"Perspective," he said simply, turning to face the couple. "Objectivity. Boundaries. Things we need to discuss without your twins of Light and Dark around."

"Aren't they allowed in your club," Izumi mocked, interlacing her fingers with the ones Takuya had on her hip.

"How far are you willing to go to stop Tache? At what point do the ends stop justifying the means? These are things we need to get straight amongst ourselves because I guarantee your answers will be different from Koji's."

"You think you can just walk into our lives and pretend you understand how we think and feel? Pit us against each other? We're no different from Koji- or from Koichi; all **four of us** are willing to do what it takes."

"I think your boundaries **are** different," Dorian answered slowly, decisively. "And you're naïve to believe otherwise. Given the fact that neither of you is related to Tache's host by blood, you both have a somewhat wider perspective on the matter."

"He has a name," hissed Izumi.

"He has many names," Dorian snapped back, heating up just a little as he rounded on her. "I understand that you see him as a friend and partner and all those good things, but there was a time before that when I _know_ you saw what else is there. If you can't admit to his evil, I can accept that, but I need you- **Koichi** needs you to admit to the _possibility_ of evil. You all need to remember who he was without his memories if you want to get through this world still intact."

"That's not fair-"

"That's how it is, _chère._ Who he is now can't change who he was or what's still lurking somewhere behind that innocent façade. Don't pretend you don't at least sense that. Some aspect of Tache remains, some connection that we can exploit in order to stop him, but only if you can admit to it and do what needs to be done."

Dorian's words hung in the air like a mist of pepper spray, thick and biting and paralyzing. Izumi felt pressure building in Takuya's fingertips as they pressed against her hip, felt her own hand growing hard against his. Loathing seethed in her gut like some kind of serpent, yet its forked tongue pointed in two undeniable directions: Dorian for suggesting Koichi might be more than he seemed… and herself for knowing that, in this, he was right.

She had sensed something from Koichi, some kind of awesome power that _had_ manifested since she'd known him (the real him). In the Digital World it had only been the one time against Ice Devimon, but that was mainly due to the fact that they all gave up their Spirits to Takuya and Koji for almost every fight thereafter. Koichi had only had the one chance, and she had been thankful he was fighting with them that time. In that moment, Izumi had understood that Duskmon's single-mindedness, the force of will that had made him such a deadly enemy, wasn't an artifact of Cherubimon's corruption, but a fundamental element of Koichi himself. He was, like the rest of them, chosen, and somewhere behind the friendship and compassion Izumi knew enough to fear that. And she hated it.

But she refused to admit it to Dorian. Refused to allow paranoia and instinctual panic to dictate the fate of someone who was fundamentally and irreplaceably her friend. Someone who was kind and gentle and _good_. The hardness spread from her fingers, up her arm and into her face.

"We're going downstairs," she said in a low, decisive voice. "To wait for Koji and Koichi." Do not follow us.


	24. Coming Undone II

The twins hesitated outside of Dorian's abandoned apartment complex for a long moment. The sun had gone behind its steel-cement body, casting its face into shadow and augmenting the missing walls and windows into moaning holes. Tokyo breathed around it, bustling and surging in a constant current of life, yet this building, this singular entity, seemed completely untouched by that life. Maybe it was just a matter of perspective, the knowledge of what waited inside souring their perception, but to the brothers of Light and Dark, it looked… foreboding. Haunted. A predator waiting in the tall grass for unsuspecting prey to wander too close. Cold and completely without the soul people frequently anthropomorphize onto buildings. They both felt it, and neither twin seemed particularly motivated to venture any closer and risk being devoured.

"Are you sure about this," Koji asked without looking at his brother. He didn't need to. He perceived the affirmative nod, sharp and apprehensive, regardless.

"Yeah," Koichi answered, his own gave fixed on the sixth floor. "There's no sense in putting it off; they have a right to know."

"I'm not saying they don't." Defensive. "It's just it's been a really long day and I wish you'd take a break and rest for five minutes."

"I know. But…" Apprehension. "I'm not tired. Not even a little. I feel fine, actually. For the first time in a long time I feel like my head is clear and I just... want to take advantage of that."

"Alright," Koji sighed begrudgingly, shifting his and Koichi's bags to the other hand and swinging them over one shoulder. He gave his brother a sideways glance, then bumped him lightly with his shoulder. Koichi met his gaze, grinning a little at the childish antics. "But we are leaving at the first sign of trouble. I can only stand that Dorian guy for so long, you know?"

"I don't think you're alone in that."

Snorting and rolling his eyes, Koji started for the tape-blocked door. They found Takuya and Izumi just beyond it, waiting in the first floor lobby as if in testament to how right Koichi was. Takuya looked ready to go off on the first mild annoyance that came his way and, if possible, Izumi looked worse. Her jaw was set with such rigidity she had to have been wearing the enamel off her teeth, her jade eyes staring at the stairwell as if it was something truly putrid. The sight of them made Koichi reconsider his objective for a moment: if this was Dorian's handiwork _before_ he knew about that afternoon's little incident, Koichi wasn't sure he would be able to stomach what came after the great sharing of truths. But Takuya wouldn't have asked them to come if the Frenchman didn't have something equally as important to share. Besides, they were already there. Might as will get it over and done with.

"Hey," he greeted sheepishly, stopping just shy of the couple. They both started at the sound of his voice, turning to stare at him.

"Hey," repeated Izumi incredulously. "Almost a whole week of the silent treatment and the first thing you say to us is 'Hey'?"

Koichi recoiled from the accusation in her voice, his gaze dropping to the floor as he began to chew on his lip. Koji looked like he was going to chide her for her rudeness or defend his brother in some other, more direct way, but Koichi reached out to him silently, grasping his forearm. _It's okay._ Izumi watched the exchange and, upon viewing the dark twin's obvious shame, felt herself soften again.

"I'm sorry," she said, wrapping her arms around her stomach, her lips twisting into a half smile. "I didn't mean to bite, it's just-"

"No," Koichi cut her off, bringing his navy eyes up to meet hers. "No, I'm sorry. I thought… It doesn't matter what I thought; I was being selfish and immature. Can you forgive me?"

"Hey man," Takuya inserted, advancing on Koichi and clapping him on the shoulder. His smile was a little strained, but genuine nevertheless. "Don't be so serious, okay? It's already done."

Koichi let out a sigh that was so heavy, it dropped to the floor like a stage weight, pulling the rest of his anxieties with it. These people, these wonderful idiot people, they'd done it again. Forgiven him when he didn't deserve forgiveness. Come back to him even when he'd done his very best to push them away. In that moment, as the four of them stood there, Koichi felt something else return: strength. The strength he'd used to give up his Spirits and trust Takuya and Koji to fulfill their own destinies. The strength he'd used to turn the tide against Lucemon. The strength of having true friends. Koji could feel his brother's emotional release like an almost giddy bubble of warmth growing next to him, and for a moment it was as if nothing of the past five years had happened. They were Digidestined and that was enough.

But like all moments it passed. Overshadowed by cold, undeniable purpose.

"So…" said Koji, shifting awkwardly and glancing meaningfully over at the stairs. "What's up there?" Takuya flinched a little, pulling away and glancing back at Izumi. She pursed her lips, following Koji's gaze.

"Honestly bro, I have no idea," he said with a shrug. "But you guys need to see it. And Dorian's back. Says he has information on Tache's cult or something."

"You don't know," Koichi asked, his brow knitting.

"We wanted to wait for you," Izumi answered in a rushed voice. "Actually… Dorian wanted to wait. He "doesn't like to repeat himself" apparently."

"Besides," Takuya added, forcing an ironic smile. "It's probably best if we all stay on the same page from here on out." Now it was Koji's turn to purse his lips, clamping them over a spray of confessions, but Koichi beat him to it. He didn't say anything, per say, merely inhaled deeply, made for the stairs, and began climbing. Koji jumped into action, catching his arm before he made it more than a couple of steps.

"You don't have to do this." Izumi and Takuya exchanged bemused, maybe even concerned, looks. Koichi felt them at the edge of his thoughts, turning around and smiling over his shoulder. Like a saint going to his execution.

"It's okay, Koji. It's like Takuya said: best we all stay on the same page. For better or for worse, that includes Dorian now. Especially since he seems to have the best understanding of what's been happening."

"Truer words were never spoken." Dorian's voice echoed down the stairs like a gust of cold wind, causing Takuya, Izumi, and Koji to all visibly recoiled from it.

"What are you doing," snapped Izumi in an accusatory tone.

"It's been 20 minutes, so I thought I'd come down and check on you. Make sure you hadn't died." If he was joking it was impossible to tell. His face was completely blank, eyes hard and unreadable as he stared them down from the second floor landing. Then, cocking one eyebrow expectantly, he turned and started back up. The inference was clear and, with no small amount of resentment, they all followed. Their footfalls echoed like crickets in an awkward attempt to fill the silence. Maybe it was too much for Dorian to take. Maybe he just didn't see the point in wasting time. Regardless of his motivations, he just started talking, assuming their attention.

"Now that school is all but out for summer break I think it would be best for us all to stay close. I've sent letters to your families; you're all invited to an elite summer program. Some of the other rooms have been prepared for you."

"You expect us to move in?" Takuya's voice was too offended to be angry.

"Like I already said," Dorian answered without looking at him. "I expect you to do what needs to be done. You and the Warrior of Wind can do as you like, but if we're being prudent your Warrior of Darkness needs to stay in a controlled environment."

There was a collective grinding of teeth as everyone both tried to assert they had names and resigned themselves to being anonymous. Koichi especially looked uncomfortable, gripping the stair rail a little harder than was necessary. Koji reached out and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, silently communicating support and an equal or greater sense of annoyance. The dark twin gave him a small smile as they reached the sixth floor landing, sharing a moment of solidarity behind Dorian's back. He just kept talking, apparently oblivious to their disdain.

"They're all Faraday Cages, so as long as he's in the room no external signal can effect him. I should think that would be desirable."

"It is," Koichi asserted, brushing past Dorian and entering his apartment. This time he had no intention of letting himself be bullied by the Frenchman, or anyone else for that matter. He did his best to communicate that physically, moving to the table and leaning against it, staring forward in preparation. "So, is that all you have for us?"

"Hardly," Dorian snorted, apparently amused at Koichi's attempt at control. He waited for the rest of the group to funnel in, then closed the door with an audible click. Koji moved to his twin's side, setting both their bags in Dorian's chair. Takuya and Izumi went to join them, yet there was something about the brother's, some aura of oneness, which kept the couple feeling somehow separate. It was a little unnerving… and Dorian noticed.

"However, maybe you should go first. I wouldn't want to tell you anything you already know." The accusation was not subtle. It didn't need to be: something had happened to Koichi that day and they all knew it. Something that made skipping work and confronting Dorian unbearably necessary. Something crucial. The dark twin swallowed hard, dropping his gaze to the ground as his resolve faltered. Now that he was here, looking at them, it seemed so much less doable…

"There's a girl in our class, Himura Shizuka," Koji jumped in, trying to remove at least some of the burden. But Koichi held out a hand before he could go any further, closing his eyes and licking his lips. Detaching himself from what he was about to say.

"They can make me hallucinate," he started in a low, tentative voice. "If that's even the right word for it. What I see isn't there- but- it's still real. Shizuka got me alone and… And I saw what they see; the place that signal imprisons their minds. I spoke to Tache there."

An uncertain stillness filled the room like fog as everyone both wanted to know what was said and was too afraid to ask. Everyone, that is, except for Dorian. His eyes had grown colder and colder as Koichi spoke, like his words were causing a long contained anger to surface. He was not smiling anymore, his hands balled into fists, frame laced with tension.

"You saw what it does to them, then," he surmised, his own voice dangerously low. "How it twists them into the monsters they become."

"Yes," Koichi nodded, his eyes opening to chance a glance around. Izumi had grabbed Takuya's hand and was squeezing it with such force her knuckles had gone white in an attempt to keep how truly disturbed she felt off her face. Takuya wasn't even trying. If it hadn't been for Koji's strength warming his back, Koichi would have stopped right there. But he couldn't, no matter how much it hurt to continue. They needed to know what they were dealing with… They needed to be prepared.

"It's found a way to use whatever body it's in to make… something. Particles? I assume they're the organic counterpart to whatever virus it must've used in the Digital World. The cult members are injected with these and that's how they can respond and use Tache's signal. They're in the cerebrospinal fluid and… And my body's doing the same thing. Ever since I got back. That's how Tache has been getting to me."

The longer he spoke the more broken his voice became, until finally Koichi was all but whispering. His eyes were fixed on a spot near his left shoe, wide and yet unseeing, like he was doing his very best not to be there. They could all feel it too, like some dampness in the air. And really, how could they blame him? How did they think they would handle the situation in his shoes? Koji moved in close behind his brother, placing a protective hand once more on his shoulder, gaze warning away any criticism or unwanted comments. The words wilted in Izumi's mouth as she tried to process what she was hearing. Tried to grasp the implications of it. She met Koji's stare for just an instant before he shamed her into looking away. Like he knew what she was thinking. Takuya, as usual, was both less presumptuous and less delicate.

"So… what does that mean," he asked, sincerity ringing in his voice. As if he honestly didn't understand the consequences of such a question. Dorian's mouth twisted, but to call the mirthless expression a smile would be terribly, horribly wrong.

"It means I was right," he said, icy blue gaze fixed on Koichi's rigid form, seeing the boy yet perceiving something entirely different.

"What do you mean you were right," barked Koji, unintentionally giving his brother's shoulder a harsh squeeze. Koichi winced and the younger twin immediately backed off, dropping his hand and inhaling deeply. Forcing collection back into his voice. "You knew about this?"

"Dorian _guessed_ that there might exist some physical connection between Tache and Koichi," said Izumi uncertainly, pulling one arm across her front. "He made something he thinks might help us exploit that connection."

"Did he now," Koichi breathed, visibly shuttering and causing Izumi to immediately regret her word choice. Still, defiant as ever, he raised his navy gaze to challenge Dorian's. "Why doesn't that surprise me."

"That is what you're here for, isn't it?" His voice was as cold as his eyes, dripping with vengeful glee and disdain. "Some way to fight Tache instead of helping him."

Koji's lips curled back into a snarl and, though he made no physical advances, the threat was clear in his voice.

"What, exactly, did you build? Just what were you planning to do to my brother?"


	25. The Awakening I

When she came to she was laying in a field of periwinkle flowers, which was weird because, though she lived in the Northern French countryside and was thus no stranger to flowers or fields, she'd never seen anything like this. She hadn't the foggiest idea how she'd gotten outside or why she'd fallen asleep there. The back corner of her mind told her that should be concerning, yet at the same time some powerful sense of intuition was emanating calm. It was too beautiful a place to be bad. Blinking, Ysault pushed herself up onto her knees, tucking a lock of honey hair that had escaped her braid behind one ear. The flowers swayed in a soft breeze and, though she distinctly remembered it being nighttime, the sun gazed down from high noon.

"Hello," said a soft voice behind her. "I'm glad you're awake."

"Am I?" Ysault turned to look over her shoulder, her brown eyes settling on what was best described as a talking plant-flower-toddler thing. It had green, tree root legs, purple orchid hands, and a frill of red petals. Her face (Ysault knew it was a she) was pointy, fleshy yellow, with a red petal helmet and big baby blue eyes. Her green, thorny tail flicked a little and she smiled in amusement at Ysault's reaction.

"Yes, you are indeed awake, but I guess I understand the confusion. My name is Floramon and I'm your Digimon!"

"I see…" Ysault looked around, bemused. Then her gaze fell back to the flower creature and she asked: "What's a Digimon?"

"That's sort of like asking what's a human. There are lots of us, but I'm special. I'm your partner, Ysault." Ysault leaned forward, squinting at Floramon and wiggling her fingers in the earth.

"Am I high?"

"Not unless we're all having the same hallucinatory experience." Ysault jumped at this new and definitely male voice, twisting around to locate its source. A boy about her age was standing a few meters away, dark, coffee brown hair artfully disheveled, piercing eyes the color of centuries old ice focused intently on her. A small, seal like creature with purple stripes moved through the grass around his feet, orange-red mane fanning straight up in the air like a Mohawk.

"I already told you," it said in a nasal, female voice, pawing at his leg with huge claws. "I'm not a hallucination, I'm your new best friend!"

"Hey," the boy greeted, ignoring what she could only assume was his 'partner' and advancing on her. "So, you went through the portal too?"

"Portal," she repeated inquisitively. He grinned a little, extending a hand to help her to her feet. She accepted, pleasantly surprised by the gentleness in his touch. Only hard on the outside, huh. "You mean the light? I was walking home from the bus stop and then-"

"It just appeared in front of you and, overcome by an inexplicable sensation of destiny, you walked right into it. Woke up here." They both started at the third voice, two sets of eyes turning towards the newcomer. She was brown skinned, shorter than both of them, but not by too much, and her limbs were thick and strong. Her hair was black and looked like she'd cut it short herself with a pair of scissors and no mirror, her dark eyes hard and somehow more knowing. Like she'd seen things. A four-legged dragon with a bright red cape was at her side, his back approximately navel-level. He appeared to be wearing a full set of steel armor, which glinted almost as brightly as his amber eyes in the sunlight.

"I saw the same thing in a back alley of Paris," she said, placing a hand on the 'Digimon's' head. "Name's Bahar. And this is Huckmon."

"Ysault," the blond haired girl said, removing her hand from the boy's grasp to turn more fully towards Bahar, smiling kindly. "And I suppose my partner here is… Floramon?"

"That's right!" All eyes turned to the boy, but it was his seal that answered.

"I'm Gomamon! Tall, dark, and broody here's Dorian." He sighed, shooting the girls a sort of 'why me' look. Ysault's smile widened at that and she squatted down, taking one of Gomamon's claws and giving it a soft shake.

"Pleasure to meet all of you," she said, her voice like a chime on the breeze.

"You're handling this well," commented Bahar, looking bemused. "Took Huckmon a solid ten minutes to calm me down."

"It took ten minutes just to get you to stop throwing things at me," the dragon said in a gruff voice, his head tilting up to scrutinize her. She chuckled, as if proud that that had been her first response to the situation. "Then another ten before you were actually calm."

"Likewise," added Gomamon, giving Dorian's leg an affectionate hip-bump. He shot her a disgruntled glare, running his tongue over his front teeth in annoyance.

"I did not throw things."

Ysault laughed, standing up again and brushing the dirt from her knees.

"All things considered I think that's the more appropriate response. I mean, this clearly isn't home and I don't know any of you," she started. Then her eyes found Floramon's and her smile brightened, wrinkling her eyes and nose as she shrugged. "But still, I'm not even worried. Somehow, I just feel like I trust you all."

Bahar and Dorian exchanged concerned looks, which only made Ysault laugh harder. She reached out and grabbed Dorian's hand again, pulling him over to Bahar. The fingers of her other hand brushed Bahar's arm lightly and, in that moment, the three of them felt a lifetime of understanding pass through her, linking them in an intimacy none had ever shared with another human before. Ysault smiled knowingly, her brown eyes moving from one to the other, then sweeping over the Digimon.

"I just know there's no reason to be afraid."

* * *

Koichi stirred, his face tensing as he once again became aware of his body. Fatigue laced his limbs and a headache was blooming behind his eyes, though he couldn't remember what the cause of either might be. Nor did he remember going to bed in the first place, but obviously he had at some point _,_ because there was no mistaking the soft warmness that surrounded him. Sighing through his nose, he pushed himself into an upright position and looked around, the first tingles of worry starting in his stomach. His room at their dad's greeted him innocently, every detail exactly as he'd left it that morning, yellow streetlight peeking through the window. This was a safe place… he just didn't know how he'd come back to it. What had he been doing earlier that day?

Somewhere along this line of thought it occurred to him that he might be dreaming again. That he couldn't recall returning to their dad's because he wasn't actually _at_ their dad's. But that wasn't right either… The girl with honey hair and chocolate eyes, she had been the dream. This was reality. Now that he was truly awake, that much was exceedingly obvious. Besides, there was no way his head could ache so badly if he was asleep. The dull thudding pounded against his retinas in a constant reminder: he needed an aspirin…. He was palming his forehead when the door opened and more questions walked in.

"Hey," Koji greeted gently, closing the door and settling himself on the edge of Koichi's bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Got any Tylenol," he asked jokingly, shooting his twin a tired look. Koji snorted half heartedly, giving his head a shake.

"Not on me."

"Too bad."

The two sat in silence for a long moment, as if each expected the other to unleash a stream of secrets. Koichi could feel his brother's nerves twisting in his gut, his expectant eyes watching, and it made him very uncomfortable. Worst of all, there in the back corners of his mind, in his center of instinct, Koji was… wary of him… Waiting for him to do… something, yet hoping he wouldn't. God, that made him nervous. The longer they sat the more anxious he became, until he couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Koji," he started tentatively, leaning towards his twin. "What is it?" Koji pursed his lips, navy eyes hard and unblinking as he carefully selected his next words.

"What do you remember?"

"Well, I don't remember coming back here. But I guess some memory loss is to be expected after what happened," Koichi answered with a sort of half-hearted laugh, vainly trying to lighten the mood just a little. His twin was not amused. If anything he looked alarmed, his breath catching and his pupils dilating oh so slightly. Nothing anyone else would have noticed. Koichi spoke quickly, his words running together: "After what happened with Shizuka. Koji, what's the matter? Why are you asking me this?"

"So," Koji surmised, his brow wrinkling as he ignored his brother's questions. "You don't remember going to Dorian's?"

" _Yes_ I remember going to Dorian's. I just don't remember _leaving_. But I'm sure it was late and I was tired and…" His heart was racing now, his mind working even faster, trying to piece together his memories of that afternoon and isolate when, exactly, his brain had stopped recording. Digging to find whatever it was that had led to his amnesia, whatever event had made his own brother fear him. "And… I must've fallen asleep… Right?"

Koji opened his mouth like he was going to answer, but nothing came out and he quickly closed it again, licking his lips. Nervously. Koichi could sense the truth, feel it lurking in on the tip of his tongue like some cryogenic material, emanating cold. But then he forced a smile like taught wire, looking past his twin at something just over his left shoulder.

"Right," Koji said with a sharp nod, as if trying to convince himself as much as his brother. "Yeah. It's been a long day; you should get back to sleep. Sorry to bug you, I just wanted to check in." He made a move to get up, but Koichi intervened, catching his wrist and giving him a sad, piercing look.

"You're a really bad liar."

Koji looked away in shame, making no attempt to deny it. Koichi felt a pain in his chest, just inside his rib cage, adding to the cacophony of ache that was still resonating throughout his body. A part of him wanted desperately to leave it there, to continue pretending that, at least for that day, they were done. Pretending Tache would give them the night. He didn't want to know what horrible thing had transpired in the black of his memory, didn't want Koji to relive it.

At the same time the void in his mind ate at him, reminding him that ignorance of the truth does not change it. The uncharacteristic and disturbing dishonesty in his twin only confirmed what he already knew: something had happened- something had happened _to him_. He shifted in his bed for a moment, then surrendered to the inevitable. Pushing off the blankets entirely, he stood up, walked over to his desk, and grabbed his chair. Turned it to face his brother and sat down. Putting them on equal footing.

"What aren't you telling me," he said in a low, hard voice. It wasn't a question, not really. Koji looked back at the door, clearly uncomfortable.

"Nii-san," he tried, allowing a plaintive note to slip into his voice. Koichi persisted, staring his brother down. He had to know.

"I remember going to Dorian's and telling Izumi and Takuya about what happened with Shizuka," he started, unblinking and unyielding.

"Do we have to do this tonight?"

"I remember the back room and Dorian's chair. I remember Dorian and I argued about it. Then what?"

"Then…" Koji breathed heavily through his nose, painstakingly deciding how best to phrase what had to come next. Koichi waited, patient but insistent. Finally, after what seemed like minutes, he met his brother's gaze, defeated. "Then it wasn't you anymore."


	26. The Awakening II

Dorian didn't see much point in leaving the twins ignorant for any longer than necessary. It had always been his intention to use Koichi to get to Tache, that much he had never hidden. But the methods he intended to use, the experiences the dark twin would be required to endure, the purpose he had to serve; these were not things the Japanese Digidestined needed to know right away. Not things they would've understood after that first alley encounter, at least, not consciously. Now the truth was out, the confession as good as golden, all without his direct prodding. All exactly as he had expected. Validated in his plans and procedures, he all but skipped to the back door of his apartment, pushing it open and illuminating an inconspicuous lantern on the table. Inviting them in to appreciate his masterpiece.

Only "appreciate" was not an appropriate word to describe the brothers' reactions. "Deride" might've been a better choice. Unlike Izumi and Takuya, Koji and Koichi were not confused or in any way unsure about what greeted them beyond the threshold. After their experience with Shizuka earlier, they both knew exactly what it was. They understood the purpose of the wires and restraints, what sorts of devices might fit into the jacks on the table, how the helmet was going to work. Above all else, they knew exactly who was expected to sit in the chair, and the thought of it made them sick. Koji's anger simmered just beneath his skin, contained by an iron will on the verge of melting. His eyes scanned the room, taking it all in in one analytical sweep, then fixed on Dorian in an accusatory stare. Koichi… Koichi felt violated. Objectified. Vulnerable. Anger and fear and shame churned in a vile mixture within him and he wished desperately that he could attribute this… this _thing_ , to another hallucination. But it was real. It was all real.

"So," Koji started in a low, dangerous voice, positioning himself between his twin and Dorian protectively. "Care to explain why you have a brainwashing chair in your back room?"

"You know perfectly well that it's not a "brainwashing" chair," Dorian shot back, smirking insidiously. "This is an adaptation of state of the art brain-computer communication technology. I've added a conductive gel and electron-multiplying layer to boost the signal to noise, thus eliminating the need to position each individual electrode exactly. His bioelectric field is stronger anyway, but some extra enhancement can't hurt. Should save us a lot of time, don't you think?"

"Should save us time when we do what," snapped Koji. "Just what do you think this will accomplish? What good do you think could possibly come from using something like this!?"

"Have you ever read Dracula? The original novel by Bram Stoker?"

Silence. Of course, they'd all heard of Dracula. Who hasn't in this day and age? They'd seen him in numerous incarnations, heard him referenced and the story of Vlad the Impaler told in this piece of media or another. But as for actually reading the classic Victorian novel, well, it wasn't exactly on their Literature class list. And how a vampire book could possibly connect to their current situation anyway escaped them. Well, it escaped all but one of them. Koichi swallowed hard, moving past his brother and Dorian to the chair, regarding it like an actual, living entity that might jump up and attack him. He stretched his hand towards the gel on the spine and a small spark of lightning shot from his fingertips into the wiring, sending a spray of yellow light across the room. Yet he didn't jump or anything, just smiled a little, like he knew that was going to happen.

"I have," he whispered, not looking up from the chair. "Once he's finished with Lucy, Dracula makes Jonathan Harker's fiancé Mina his victim. He forces her to drink his blood, which allows him to see into her mind and influence her behavior. Turns her into an unwilling spy. But Van Helsing convinces Mina to undergo hypnosis, so she can look back through the link into Dracula's mind. That's how they're able to find him and ultimately kill him."

"More or less," said Dorian with a cold shrug.

"I won't do it." Koichi turned to face his friends, his gaze lingering on Takuya and Izumi for a moment before settling on Dorian. "I refuse."

"Koichi," Izumi tried after a long, thick pause, layering her voice with as much diplomacy as it would hold. "If this machine can give us some idea of where Tache is or what he's planning, then I think we have to at least consider it."

"No we don't," Koji barked, giving her an offended look. "If Koichi says he's not doing it then that's it. Case closed. We'll find another way to deal with Tache."

"What other way," said Takuya, exasperated. "I don't know about you guys, but Zumi and me have had negative success finding anything out about this cult. We have to do something; we can't just sit here!"

"Besides," Dorian admonished. "I thought you said you could keep it out. If that's true, then what's the problem?"

"You know perfectly well that this thing only works if I _let it in_ ," Koichi spat, venom hissing in his voice.

"By your own admission there's a part of Tache that's already active inside you. Instead of letting it control you, why not use it for your own benefit? Why not use it to help your friends?"

"You think I deserve this. You blame me for all of it and this is just another way to punish me."

"Don't flatter yourself; I'm just trying to be helpful. Even though, directly or not, Tache and everything It has done _is because_ of you."

"No it's not. I wish it was, but it's not. I _**wanted**_ to agree with you. I wanted to believe this is all somehow my fault, because if it was then I had some measure of control. There was something I could do, some behavior I could change that would help. So I listened to you. You told me if I isolated myself, if I pushed my friends and family away, I could keep them safe. But that's not true. I was _there_ ; I saw the ocean and I heard the insecurities it uses to brainwash people. More than that, I remember what it's like. All I've done is make the people I care about most more vulnerable to Tache- to the corrupt darkness It represents. You were wrong then and you're wrong now. Giving myself to this _thing_ can't help anyone."

"Indeed," mocked Dorian, sneering. "I'm sure your dear friends and brother will remember that when Tache is gutting their souls in that nice place you visited. Or is that what you want?"

"How dare you," whispered Koichi, his shoulders tightening. "How _dare_ you- I'm as much Tache's victim as anyone else! That doesn't make me helpless. I have a choice and I'm not going to walk willingly into the corruption again. I won't just _let_ it take me."

"No one is suggesting that you should," cried Izumi, trying to insert herself and defuse the conflict. But instead of quieting Koichi's anger, she enflamed it. He rounded on her, eyes like pits of yawning blackness, filled with horrors she could only imagine.

"Of course they are." His words were saturated with chilled disdain, his frame wired with tension. "Do you even know how this thing works? Do you know _how_ it would yield any useful information? You either don't, or you lied earlier when you told Koji and I none of this had been discussed yet."

"Sounds to me like some decisions were made without us." Koji moved to join his brother by the chair, his words almost as cold as his stare. Izumi recoiled, caught in her not-quite falsehood.

"Hey, lay off man," Takuya shouted, putting his arm protectively around Izumi's shoulder. "This is the first we've heard about any of this!"

"Arguing is pointless. What I've built is a way to spy on Tache and nothing more. It's high time you accept responsibility for your mess and do what it takes to clean it up. This world cannot afford the luxury of your juvenile behavior."

"I won't go back there, and you have no right to ask me to. You can't just plug me in and ask what I see!"

"I think I can."

"No wonder Bahar and Ysault left you!"

Silence. Horrible, jagged, bleeding silence. Dorian radiated rage like some sort of bomb, sending out little pre-shock waves as it prepared to blow a hole to the planet's core. If any of them had thought him angry or even mildly irritated before, they had been terribly wrong. This was his anger. This was his grudge and his _raison d'être,_ tucked away behind a mask of calm. Now it was out, the animal in each of them knew enough to recognize that, and it was entirely directed at Koichi. He stood his ground, his own frigid will like a pike in the earth, a challenge. Go ahead, hit me if you can, prove me right. The two stood like that for an eternity, Koichi by the chair, Dorian by the table, a minefield blanketing the rest of the room. Then, without changing his expression at all, Dorian turned his back to them and walked over to the door. For a moment they thought he was going to leave, but he just grabbed the handle and pulled it closed. Gently.

"Don't you even speak their names you **filth** ," he hissed without turning.

"I'm not the one that pushed them away. I'm not the one that made life so unbearable they had to leave. I'm not the one that made them vulnerable."

"Koichi," Izumi breathed, afraid of setting either one of them off and provoking physical violence. "What are you saying?"

"Where are they now, Dorian," Koichi pressed, frowning. His breath was shortening as he spoke and, sensing a growing unsteadiness, Koji moved in closer behind him. Like a guard dog. He knew what Koichi was going to say and needed to be close to absorb any retaliation. "I've seen Tache's current host and she is _not_ Japanese. How do you explain that?"

"You're Its host, Koichi," Dorian said in a monotone. "Whatever you say or do, you can't escape what you are. I'll prove it right now, to you and all of your "friends." You're head's starting to hurt, right? You're heart's beating too fast and it feels like your whole body is just one bloody sack getting ready to pop. Heat's building up, in your neck and hands. It's unbearable."

"What are you talking about? I feel…"

Koichi's lips parted as Dorian spoke, allowing dry gasps to slip over them. His stomach clenched and cramped and his pupils constricted into pinpricks in a sea of navy blue. One hand hovered, trying to cradle his cracking brow yet still too proud to do so. With each passing moment his body felt weaker and weaker, a terrible flu crashing over him in a matter of moments. Ever since the door closed…

"I'm fine…"

"What did you do," cried Koji, anger and fear making his voice raw. He grabbed Koichi's shoulders to steady him, searching for a cause from across their telepathic bond. But it wasn't there. He reached for Koichi and there was nothing. "What did you do!"

"This room's a Faraday Cage," explained Dorian calmly to the door. "I've coated it in conductive mesh, no holes, so when I close this door, no external signals can get in. So really, I've done nothing by try to protect you all from Tache's influence. My best guess, if I had to make one, is he's suffering from an acute case of withdrawal, but it has nothing to do with me."

"Withdrawal," repeated Takuya, his eyes flicking from Koichi's now visibly shaking form to Dorian's back. "Withdrawal from what?"

"From whatever Easter Egg Tache's followers left in his bag when it was unattended. While he was out playing with… Shizuka, was it? Someone must've slipped a transponder into his things. My best guess is it's been stimulating the particles inside you're Warrior of Darkness ever since, suppressing his pain, getting him ready for Tache's imminent arrival."

"That's bull shit!" Koji looked like he dearly wanted to launch himself across the room and rip the French Digidestined's face off. Koichi, too, looked like he wanted to say something, but he couldn't form the words. His throat was so tight and dry he couldn't speak, agonizing, debilitating pressure building up behind his eyes. Paralyzed, the twins stared Dorian down, willing their vengeance into his turned back.

"Stop it," yelled Izumi, taking two long strides and grabbing the Frenchman by the arm. Her nails dug into the fabric of his jacket, her jade eyes piercing. "Stop it! You're hurting him!"

"Alright," Dorian said, a sinister grin twisting his lips. "If you all can't stand to see your friend suffer, I'll make the pain go away. It's easy enough, really. All I have to do is let Tache's signal back in and it'll make him whole."

"No don't!" Koichi cried out, his voice raw and airy, but he was too late. Dorian twisted the handle and swung the door wide open, the same sinister, manic grin contorting his face in the shadows. A wave of static came crashing in like a physical force, pulling their hairs on end and tingling on their skin. Heat retreated from the air, sound dulled, vision darkened, and Koichi's pupils dilated. His eyelids grew heavy and his head lulled back, his breath suddenly deep and regular. As if sedated. Then he crumpled, a puppet with cut strings. Koji fell with him to the ground, too stunned and afraid to react immediately.

"Koichi!" Takuya was at his side in an instant, hands hovering unhelpfully as his frantic brain tried to diagnose his friend. The dark twin stared up, his open eyes little more than pits of unseeing black. He didn't respond to Takuya's words or to his brother's touch. "What the hell? What's wrong with him?"

"Hmm, seems like it overwhelmed him this time. Interesting."

Izumi's fist was like a tiny steel ball when it made contact with the side of Dorian's face, catching him off guard and cracking his head against the doorframe. He staggered sideways, one hand pressed against the wall to steady himself and the other cradling his jaw. She brushed by him, tearing into Koji and Koichi's bags like a starved bear, digging for anything that looked remotely out of place. Koji, catching on before his best friend, leapt to his feet and went to join her, but was caught in the doorway when Dorian grabbed his elbow.

" **You can't save him** ," he hissed through gritted teeth. "You're going to have to let it happen eventually." Koji pulled his arm away and rounded on Dorian, grabbing him by the front of his jacket and pinning him to the wall. Rage boiled in his eyes and for an instant he debated how best to go about hurting the older boy. But something else beat him to the punch; dark liquid glinted in his nostrils then spilled over his lips and down his chin, dripping onto his shirt as a faint, gurgling noise started in his throat. Koji let go and took a step back, confusion overriding his anger as he tried to understand.

"Hey buddy," he heard Takuya's voice and turned. "You okay?"

Koichi was sitting up, his body completely relaxed, his face expressionless. He did not respond to Takuya's question, or acknowledge his presence in any way. Nor did he pay any attention to his surroundings or position on the floor. His black gaze was fixed, unblinking on Dorian and, as the French Digidestined made a move to wipe the blood from his face with the back of his hand, he narrowed that gaze. Dorian froze, rigid, his lips curling into a snarl as blood continued to drip from his nose. Takuya frowned and reached out to his friend, just barely brushing Koichi's shoulder. In a flash Koichi had his fingers curled around Takuya's throat, iron grip firm and threatening. His eyes slid sideways to meet Takuya's bewildered gaze, and the nothing he saw in them chilled the Warrior of Flame to his core.

"That one's memories belong to me," whatever entity inside Koichi's skin said in a frozen monotone. "Do not try to interfere."

"Nii-san, no…" The black eyes moved to Koji and there was no recognition in them. No indication that he associated the term or the speaker with himself, nor signs that the words had affected him in any way. Koji met that empty gaze with their mother's eyes and reached out with his mind instead, willing Koichi to hear.

 _Nii-san please. Please stop. You're scaring me._

Stillness. Koichi frowned, releasing Takuya and tightening his shoulders. He stared at Koji like he couldn't see him, but knew he was supposed to be there, blinking uncertainly. Then his eyes went wide and he gasped as if in sudden pain, his body contracting in defense. And as quickly as it started it was over and he fell against Takuya's chest. There was a clattering noise and all three boys turned to see Izumi just past the doorway. A little black box with an insidiously simple on-off switch was at her feet and her hands were shaking.

"My god," she whispered, staring at Koichi as if she'd never met him. "What just happened?"


	27. Truths I

It was a long time before anyone said anything else. A long time before anyone was ready to say anything at all. Even if they had been, even if they'd been able to process and quantify whatever they'd just witnessed, what were they going to say about it? What words were there to describe the event? What language could adequately express what they thought or how they felt about it? How were they supposed to feel? Too much had been packed into the moments before, too many highs and lows compressed together, so the graph looked more like a blob of ink than a means of communicating information. Hearts pounded, lungs expanded and contracted, blood dripped from Dorian's nose, and still no one budged. As if moving would break the stillness, shattering whatever hope or fear they had about what came next, ushering in the horrible, inevitable reality. A reality none of them wanted nor could escape.

It was, ironically, Koichi who made the first move, giving them all a start. A surge of adrenaline caused by nothing more than a groan. Izumi's knees gave out beneath her and she sat heavily into Dorian's kitchen chair, gripping the armrests harder than was necessary and staring straight ahead. Takuya jumped visibly, obviously deeply uncomfortable. He shot Koji a pleading look and, understanding his meaning, the younger twin reacted, moving back to his brother's side and taking his weight. Koichi's head rolled on his neck, his face twitching in an unconscious grimace. Cold sweat was already dampening his brow and his flesh felt hot to the touch. But, at least for the moment, he was free of Tache's influence. Koji could sense that, feel it through a link that was not quite telepathic in nature. He didn't think beyond that, scooping his twin up and moving him wordlessly over to Dorian's bed.

"Be my guest," spat the French Digidestined, moving his hand finally to contain the blood flow from his nose and tilting his head forward.

"Think very carefully about what you say next," Koji warned in a low voice, repositioning Dorian's pillow under Koichi's head.

"What's there to say? I said I'd prove there's a monster inside your brother and I did."

Like lightning Koji was on his feet again and advancing on Dorian, his intentions painfully etched into his frigid eyes. But Takuya was quicker, inserting himself between the two and putting a halting hand on Koji's chest. For a moment, Koji looked like he was going to take his frustrations out on the goggle head instead, yet there was something, some serious and sad note in his brown eyes that held the younger twin back.

"Tch," he scoffed, pulling away. Takuya stood for a moment longer with his hand outstretched, as if trying to hold the waves of disgust and fear that were rolling off Koji and flooding the room. Threatening to drown them all. But then he seemed to realized that such efforts were futile and dropped his arm, sighing heavily, his eyes resting on Koichi's not quite sleeping form. Who, he wondered, would they find when he woke up? Silence, like dust, was just beginning to settle again when Izumi spoke, her voice thin and strained.

"How… How is he?" Her jade eyes met Koji's, glinting with fear and resolve. "Can you tell?"

"He'll be fine," Koji answered in a stern, hard tone. As if trying to proclaim the fact, to will it into reality, rather than merely answering a question. Takuya wasn't satisfied with that, though. As much as he cared for his friends, as much as he wanted it to be true, Koichi was **not** going to be fine and pretending otherwise could only make things worse.

"Can we talk about what just happened," he snapped at no one in particular, his brown eyes arcing up to the ceiling in frustration. "And how the hell we're going to keep it from happening again?"

"You can't stop it. I should think that would've been obvious by now."

"And what, exactly, is "it"?"

Izumi pushed herself to her feet, advancing on Dorian before either of the boys could. The Frenchman met her accusatory gaze frigidly, the red oozing from between his fingers as they cupped his nose making him look all the more insidious. She didn't back down; however, in an act of undeserved diplomacy, she did pull out her handkerchief and hold it out to him. Like a peace offering.

"The particles inside Koichi, what are they doing to him? I think we have a right to know. And, since you seem to know so much about them, I think you have an obligation to tell us."

Dorian reached for the handkerchief, his ice-cold eyes flicking to Takuya and Koji before fixing on Izumi. She started when he grabbed her extended hand, trying instinctively to pull away, but he held fast, staring at her with a horribly cryptic expression.

"Maybe you do have a right," he said in a low voice. "Maybe you even have the strength and cunning to use that information to your advantage. But are you ready for it? Do you think you can handle the truth?"

"What happened," Izumi said in an equally low voice, her own gaze unyielding. "To Bahar an Ysault?"

"It's complicated."

"Un-complicate it."

Izumi tore her hand from Dorian's, retreating backwards to Takuya's side. For emphasis, she wiped her fingers on her skirt, her face a chiseled mask of determination. Dorian regarded her with suspicion, annoyance, and respect, bringing her handkerchief up to his face to catch the blood. Plans: sometimes they go on without a hitch and sometimes crazy possessed kids puncture them with their minds. Oh well, this had to come out eventually. Better they hear it from him than some mosaic pieced together from an incomplete set of his memories when the dark twin woke up.

"This is not the first time something like this has happened," Dorian started. "Which is not to say that our situation isn't unique. However, there exists some historical context that can help us understand Tache and plan how best to handle it."

"Whatever you're trying to say," hissed Koji, leaning against the wall by his brother and folding his arms. "Say it concisely."

"There was a boy- a Digidestined like us, named Ken Ichijouji. When he was young he went to the Digital World, and was part of a battle against the evil Digimon Millenniummon. A piece of Millenniummon's data became lodged in the back of his neck, manifesting in our world as something called a Dark Spore. Over the course of years it poisoned him, giving him incredible athletic and intellectual abilities while slowly eroding his soul. He was quite famous for a while, actually."

"I've never heard of him."

"That's because this Ken Ichijouji does not exist in your universe. His is a world where the barrier between the Digital and Real Worlds broke down and Digimon now coexist with humans."

"And Izumi's a crown princess in Italy," Takuya added with an eye-roll. "Come on, do you seriously expect us to believe that? Digimon can't exist in the Real World, they'd tear it apart."

"Not in our Real World, no. But ours isn't the only one in existence. You adventured around in a parallel world for months and never batted an eye. Is it really so farfetched to suggest that there may be divergent human universes as well?"

"Yes," shot Koji. Sighing, Dorian ran his tongue over his front teeth, looking from face to face for clues as to how best to proceed. They stared back at him, tactfully expressionless, a united wall of ignorance he was somehow going to need to breech.

"Do you want to know what I know or not? Because I am perfectly fine with keeping you all in the dark if that would help with efficiency. Don't ask if you have no intention of receiving."

Izumi opened her mouth to snipe back a reply, but ironically Takuya intervened, placing a calming hand on her shoulder and shooting Koji a scolding look. He avoided it, staring down at his twin with an unreadable expression.

"What's this got to do with Koichi," the light twin asked, words battling their way through his clenched teeth to be heard. Dorian allowed himself a mirthless grin.

"The Dark Spores in Ken Ichijouji's world fed on innocence, changing their hosts at a biochemical level when active. They are fragments of viral code, remnants of the Digital World that became organic when the host returned to the Real World and thus took on organic characteristics. I believe something similar is happening here, with your Chosen of Darkness."

Quiet.

"Could they remove it," Koji asked in a quiet, maybe even hopeful voice. "This Dark Spore or whatever, did they remove it?"

"In the case of Ken Ichijouji, the Dark Spore functioned as a type of gland, and once he was aware, Ichijouji was able to regulate it such that it no longer influenced his behavior. Removal was not necessary and would've been challenging as the Spore had become a part of his nervous system."

More quiet.

"Anyway, that's a moot point. What we're dealing with here is much more integrated."

"How the hell would you know!" Izumi hadn't meant to actually vocalize the comment and flushed a little at her outburst. Dorian's icy blue eyes moved to her in assessment, and he pursed his lips. As if deciding how much to share.

"I've been… observing some of the members of Tache's cult," he started. Then he realized how sketchy that sounded and added more hastily. "As well as doing some research on my own. Mostly, cult members seem to go about their regular lives, plus a little recruiting, but exactly every three days they make a side trip to the warehouse district. Add in this new information about these particles needing to be extracted from Tache and injected into the cult members and I would hypothesize that we're dealing with something that's more like a drug that must be continually supplied, rather than a singular, permanent entity. Something that needs to be maintained at some biological concentration in order to be effective."

"So… if we can keep Koichi and the rest of this cult away from Tache for long enough, their systems should just… flush it out?" Takuya sounded hopeful, maybe even a little overly optimistic. Like he was looking for a quick and simple fix, as usual. Dorian gave him a sort of sympathetic glance.

"For the members of Tache's cult, yes, that should work. Which is in our favor. But for him." His eyes fell to Koichi's pale form, expression unreadable. "His body is actively creating these dark particles like any other protein. Even if we could get them out, he'd just make more. The signal activates them, calls them to their purpose, but they've been there since your mission in the Digital World. A remnant of his experiences there. I think isolation from Tache's influence will calm them down and prevent them from influencing his personality too much, but the only way to truly neutralize the problem is to rid the universe of Tache. Even then… I'm not sure."

"All right, genius," hissed Izumi, the anger in her voice barely masking the fear. "What, then, _do you_ suggest we do about it? _How_ are we supposed to help Koichi?"

"It's like talking to a brick," Dorian muttered to himself, shaking his head. "How many times do I have to say it? You. Can't. Help. Him. He is what he is and nothing will change that. What you can do is start acting like Digidestined with a greater calling and stop Tache from taking over the bloody world! Stop him from reaching his host, reforming the entity you call Duskmon, and stripping humanity of everything **it** considers Light! Focus on the bigger picture! Use the link your Chosen of Darkness has to Tache to find it and end this!"

There was a horrible crunching, cracking sound as Koji's fist impacted the drywall, sending fractures through it like a spider's web. Dust particles floated in the air, suspended in the moment the Digidestined had created in shock, fear, and anger. Then it began to settle, leaving each of the Chosen to personally determine how they felt. Whether or not they really blamed Koji for the damages or if they found his violence inappropriate. Koji, for his part, didn't care about any of it. His enraged glare was pinned to Dorian's brazen form, delivering threats no words could ever summarize.

"Absolutely not," he growled. "You're not _touching_ my brother. I won't allow it. So you can just take that bigger picture and shove it straight up your ass."

More quiet. More secrets and unspoken opinions. Driving them apart like the slow glide of crust plates slipping over each other and molten mantel. An earthquake was coming, they just didn't know when. And no one seemed brave enough to push it, to venture out knowing the Earth would erupt at any moment. Knowing that there was no turning back. Finally, in a desperate act fueled by friendship or necessity or whatever best justified what he was about to do, Takuya stepped forward.

"You know," he started, his mannerisms growing increasingly cumbersome as he tried to move closer to Koji. "In the Digital World, looking back at it, a lot of things should have been scary. I mean, we literally could have gotten really hurt fighting like we did. We even could have _died_. We should have been terrified the whole time, but I never was. Not until I met Duskmon."

There was a long pause filled with wicked tension. His voice quieted, but Takuya continued to push through it bravely.

"I didn't know what fear or chaos or destruction were until I fought Duskmon. And he scared me so much I ran back to the Human World with my tail firmly between my legs. When I came back, it wasn't like I stopped being afraid; I just found a way to live with it. Move forward, you know?"

"What are you trying to say, Takuya?" Koji's voice was low and frigid, and it sounded more like a threat than a question. Takuya nodded his head to himself and licked his lips, choosing his words much more carefully than usual.

"I'm saying that I never stopped being afraid of Duskmon, even when he turned back into Koichi. That fear of the Darkness never went away and I think for good reason. You and I know better than anyone what that Digimon is capable of, the kind of damage he can do without any effort. If he were to somehow get out into the Human World-"

"He won't. My brother won't let him."

"Look, I like Koichi, he's one of my best friends. He's saved my life more times than I can count and I know he's trying, but weren't you here just now? Have you actually looked at your brother? I think… we need to start preparing for the possibility that Dorian's right."

The temperature in the room dropped as Koji slowly stood. He kept his head low and his body relaxed, and yet everything about him still spoke of absolute fury. Takuya withdrew a little, setting his teeth for the lashing that was about to come.

"How dare you," Koji breathed. "How dare you. Koichi is the victim here; Tache on one side trying to possess him and us on the other throwing him out like bait. He's been fighting the hardest since this all began and you would just give up hope? Just like that?"

"That's not what I-"

"That's exactly what you mean," Koji snapped.

"Koji-" tried Izumi, but she too was cut off.

" _ **Don't**_. Don't even start. This discussion is over."

"It is _not_ over," she hissed, her own tone chilling to match his. "But I'm not going to stand here and bicker about it while the only person who has any **right** to make this decision lies over there unconscious! It is not your place to speak for him; Koichi should hear Dorian's theory."

"What? That bull shit about parallel universes? How is that helpful? How does he know any of it anyway? Where **are** Bahar and Ysault?"

"They're gone, okay!" A tight pause fell as all eyes turned to Dorian's uncharacteristically earnest form. There was a strangely pained look in his icy blue eyes, almost like regret, and his voice was soft. "Bahar split off from the group and then I abandoned Ysault. I don't know what happened to either of them or where they ended up. I don't know if they made it back to France or if Tache got to them or if they just got lost somewhere. So you can quit asking because I honestly don't know. What I _do_ know is Tache. Containing it, stopping it from spreading, and finally, ending it. That's my problem and I solve my problems. I learn everything I can about them by whatever means necessary and I solve them."

"Did you-" Izumi licked her lips, continuing with tact. "Ever try to find them?"

" _Of course_ I tried. Instead I found you lot. And unlike you, I have a sense of responsibility to the rest of the universe. I'm exactly where I need to be, where I believe Bahar and Ysault would want me to be." Once more speechlessness descended upon the group. So much was left unsaid yet what more could any of them say? How many more secrets could they uncover? How many more revelations could they stomach? It had been a very, very long day; how much longer did they want to make it?

Again, Koichi shattered the stillness with movement. His lips parted and he drew in a rasping breath, eyes opening deliberately. But to call him conscious would have been wrong. There was something dead in his forward-looking, unseeing gaze, like he either didn't know there was a room filled with people around him or he was just too far past caring to acknowledge them. Numb. Takuya leapt away in shock, backing towards Izumi, who was controlling her own discomfort a little better. Koji dropped to his knees, grabbing his twin by the shoulders in both relief and concern.

"Koichi," he said in a firm yet disturbed voice. The dark twin didn't so much as blink. Koji cupped the sides of his face gently, forcing him to meet their mother's eyes. Still nothing, a blankness that permeated his gaze and face, reaching deep into his mind. A soft buzzing met Koji as he probed across their psychic link, the body going about its usual functions, wakefulness but not awareness. Not Koichi, but not Tache either. More than that, the light twin could feel fatigue deep inside him, and an aching need for safety. Safety which could not be found here. Koji released his brother, allowing is head to fall back into a neutral position, and stood up.

"We're leaving," he said in an even voice. His twin stood, slowly and mechanically, driven entirely by his brother's iron will.

"Is he-" Takuya started, brown eyes alight with concern.

"We're. Leaving." No one tried to argue further, or ask, or do anything really except watch the twins vanish down the stairs. They didn't have the energy.


	28. Truths II

Koichi's expression didn't change in the slightest as Koji spoke. He didn't flinch or frown when Dorian's stunt with the door/ Faraday cage was recounted. Didn't so much as bat an eye when Koji described how he'd… reacted in the moment. The whole time he kept his features composed, a mask of passive interest in the tale of his own failings. Koji didn't know how he felt about that; it either meant his twin was handling the news extremely well, or not at all. Neither scenario was particularly comforting.

"You got up and you followed me home, but it was like you were sleep-walking. Like you hadn't woken up at all. Then you just curled up in here like nothing had happened. I put some blankets on you and started packing. Wasn't sure you were going to wake up at all, but I wanted to be prepared."

"Prepared," Koichi repeated, his eyes betraying a deep sadness that could never be expressed in words. "For when I _did_ wake up?"

"For when you decided whether or not you wanted to stay with Dorian," Koji said incredulously. "He's got those rooms that can keep you safe, but after what happened, I-"

He reached out to grab the older twin's hand or knee or something, to comfort and support him in whatever awkward way he could. But Koichi pulled back, recoiling as if Koji's hand was made of fire.

"Don't touch me," he whispered, eyes flicking down, up to Koji's face, and down again. "Please. Just… I just can't right now."

"I get it," said Koji with a shrug, withdrawing his hand. He wanted to smile a little, force his lips into a somewhat more comforting orientation, but they wouldn't cooperate. Not that a smile would've done any good anyway. Koichi looked him straight in the eye, his own stare remote and incomprehensible. Then he stood up, moving to the window and leaning his head against the glass, arms folded.

"No you don't. You can't. Because I can't. I can't "get"… any of this. Things are changing inside me, some… horrible remnant of Duskmon is emerging, I _know_ that. But I don't feel different. I don't _**feel**_ out of control or crazy or evil or-"

"Hey," Koji murmured, coming around to the window, trying to catch his brother's eye. His hands he kept stiffly at his sides, focusing on keeping them in check. "You are the strongest person I have ever met; stronger than anyone could even imagine. You're going to get through this."

"I know. But who will I be when it's over?"

"My brother." His voice was so simple, so sincere, almost child-like. Koichi turned and met his gaze, a small, sad smile clouding his face, warding off the orange streetlight.

"Koji," his whispered, trusting a little more of his weight to the windowpane. "You can't protect me from what's already inside. You can't do the fighting for me this time."

His face hardened, jaw setting in stubborn defiance like only Koji could do. Control lost to the winds, his arms wrapped themselves around Koichi's rigid form, pulling him close, tucking him tightly and securely against his chest. For a moment, time stopped and he could feel the fear lift from his twin's soul. Pressing his fingertips and chin into Koichi's back, Koji spoke in a fierce, canine growl:

"Yes I can."

* * *

"Shit!"

Bahar always had the most delicate way of putting things. Ysault smiled at the thought, folding her arms across her knees and propping her chin on the bar they formed. The two had been out looking for food, firewood, a better campsite, and anything else they might find generally useful. Dorian hung back at their current set up, taking his turn at guarding their little Pyomon friend while the women ventured forth. Division of labor: kind of difficult when your party consists of three humans and their Digimon partners. Add in a nonnegotiable buddy system and things got complicated fast.

It was Ysault's fault, really. She'd stepped forward when Bahar had said to hold back, put too much weight on the brittle cave ceiling. Thankfully, Huckmon and Floramon had been more nimble, avoiding the cave-in by a hair and remaining at the surface. That was the good news. The bad news was the walls were too smooth/ crumbly to climb, Floramon's vines were too short, and Huckmon, though strong enough to pull them up, had nothing he could use as a rope. So the Digimon had called down to them, reaffirmed their health, then announced that they would be back soon with something long enough to reach the cave floor and strong enough to support their weight. Ysault had no doubt they'd come through, though she worried for their safety. Without their partners, they'd be unable to Digivolve in an emergency. Bahar hated relying on anyone or anything.

"Son of a bitch!" She reached up, grasped a handhold, then swore as it crumbled between her fingers. Striking the wall with an open palm, she turned and threw herself down next to Ysault, fuming. Ysault gave her a conciliatory grin, wiggling her weight back and forth. Nothing to do but wait; they both knew it. Bahar, not yet pacified, bit her lip, slipping her fingers up her right sleeve and picking at an already open sore. Ysault watched her draw her hand back out after a moment, nails stained red with blood and scab, then move on to a spot on her chin.

"Why do you do that?" She hadn't meant to actually voice the question, and blushed when Bahar's black eyes slid to her balled form. For a moment the dark woman considered, face cryptic, fingers frozen. With a great effort, Bahar forced her hands down, propping her forearms on splayed knees so they hung limply between her legs and sighing through her nose. "I'm sorry-"

"It's called dermatillomania," Bahar said, voice flat, gaze falling over Ysault's shoulder to the cave wall. "Compulsive skin picking. Self diagnosed, but I read about it on the internet and it makes sense."

Ysault frowned, perplexed, which caused Bahar to grin wryly. She extended one hand towards the Destined of Charity, and for the first time Ysault noticed the cuticles of her pointer and thumb. They were… raw, the skin peeled back to the first knuckle in places, on the edge of bleeding in others. As if she'd been tearing at the flesh for some time, worrying it away in strips. Gently, Ysault took Bahar's hand, bringing it closer to her face for inspection.

"Does it hurt," she asked, chocolate eyes innocently concerned.

"Sometimes," Bahar replied with a small shrug. "Mostly it kind of itches or burns, which is annoying and distracting. So I pick." She paused for a moment, considering. Her dark eyes stared forward, into a universe Ysault couldn't sense, perceiving things beyond her understanding. "I don't know… I like to think I'm in control of my mind and body, but this… just happens."

"I've… never heard of anything like that before…" Ysault returned Bahar's hand, unsure of how to proceed. Once again, the Chosen of Justice smiled, looking up to the right and shaking her head a little, as if to commiserate with an invisible entity thereabout.

"The world is much bigger than what any of us have heard of."

"Well yes. Of course it is." Ysault returned the smile, something Bahar couldn't name glinting in her face. Sometimes she seemed just a child, pure and unspoiled by the horrors of reality. Blind to cruelty and immune to suffering. Now, though, in the darkness, there was an otherworldly quality to her frame.

"I believe we all interact with the world based on the premise that everyone in it is more or less like ourselves. That they are made happy by the same things that make us happy and pained by whatever gives us pain; on the basis of empathy. But that is not always the case because individuals can be so astoundingly different to begin with, so dynamic, and I don't think anyone truly knows themselves. Not entirely." As she spoke, Ysault's eyes slipped to the floor, her lids heavy, arms wrapped around her knees. "The only things we hear are words, but there's so little that has a name. How can one ever hope to comprehend even one single existence, let alone the entire world?"

"Do you want to know a secret," Bahar asked suddenly. Her voice was low and rushed, gaze hard, like some kind of test. Ysault looked up, their eyes locking. "Something only a few people know."

"Do you want to tell me?" Short. Simple. Infinitely complex.

"Yeah." Bahar gave a terse nod, her lips twitching upwards. "I would like to tell you, Ysault. I want to trust you."

Ysault reached over and laid a warm hand on Bahar's forearm, smiling reassuringly. Bahar took a steadying breath through her nose.

"I'm polysexual and gender queer."

"I don't know what that means."

"It means… well… I'm not a boy or a girl. Maybe more of a girl, I'm cool with "she" pronouns, but it doesn't feel right to call myself one. Biologically, my sex _is_ female, but that doesn't dictate my gender. I pass for a woman, but I'm not. I'm something; it's just not binary. And same goes for the people I'm attracted to."

She paused for a moment, waiting for Ysault's rejection. When none came, more words started pouring from Bahar's mouth. More secrets seeking light and comfort. Ysault listened, never releasing the Chosen of Justice's arm, never moving her chocolate gaze. Her presence was like an embrace: warm, supportive, compassionate. Her silence told Bahar that she was listening in the purest sense of the verb, and Bahar's pain flowed into that silence like water from a cracked dam.

"My partner was agendered. Ze was… not very kind towards me, especially when we fought, which was often, or in public. It was all very subtle, very innocent at first. Ze would get insanely jealous if I tried to spend any time with other people, accusing me of cheating, insisting we never be apart, until I just stopped trying and let zir isolate me. Looking back, this was emotional abuse, but I just… ze never hit me…

"Then one day we were talking about university and ze threatened to kill themself when I mentioned applying. I told zir I was done, that ze needed help that I just couldn't provide, that I _needed_ to live my own life. Ze said they'd out me if I left them. My family loves me, but… they didn't know- still don't know. We never talked about this sort of thing and I… I sure as hell wasn't staying with that abusive ass hole, but if ze did tell my family, or anyone in my community- I couldn't take the risk.

"So I ran. I lived on the street, keeping my head low. Some people are nice, but if you don't have a place in the pack then you can just forget about it. And men expect payment for anything given to a lone pair of breasts. The things you see, the injustice of it all, makes me sick just thinking about it. And lets just say it's not a safe place for a brown person with boobs."

"Sounds horrible."

"It wasn't all bad. There are a lot of good people, who don't deserve to be there, on the streets. Sick people, broken people, disowned and abandoned people. People like me, trying to take the third way out of a bad relationship. Actually, I really discovered myself out there. No one knew who I was and they didn't care, so there were no consequences for just being the way I am, openly. Well... different, more obvious consequences at least. That's where I started really using polysexual and gender queer to describe myself. There's a certain kind of power in having a word for what you are, and in knowing that there are other people like you out there.

"Still, it was hard. I barely lasted a week before I wanted to give up. Go back to Romane and beg zir to take back whatever ze had said to my family. Tell them we'd had a big fight or some shit. They'd always assumed we were really good friends, so they would've bought it. There were so many kids like me who didn't _have_ families to go back to, and there I was, just trying to avoid my problems. That's when the light appeared. I went through, woke up here."

She looked at Ysault and sort of smiled, shrugging in a halfhearted sort of way. As if to say 'and that's all folks' and switch the subject before anything else came out. Ysault stared back, the corners of her mouth reaching ever so slightly upwards, her gaze soft and understanding. Gently, she gave Bahar's arm a squeeze as hot tears started to make her eyes shine brightly in the darkness.

"When we get back to the human world," she said, her musical tone leaving no room for discussion or argument. "I'm going to come and find you. I didn't know you before, but now that we're friends I'm going to be there. Whatever you need, whenever you need it."

"I didn't tell you all that for your pity." There was a defensive sharpness to Bahar's tone that she hadn't quite intended. Nevertheless, the closeness was starting to feel uncomfortable and she pulled away, removing herself from Ysault's range of contact. The Chosen of Charity didn't falter or pursue. She licked her lips and held Bahar's stare.

"I don't pity you," Ysault murmured, her voice just above a whisper. "I admire you. You're so strong, Bahar, and so brave. It takes a lot of courage to be who you are, especially when you're not what the world thinks you should be. It takes a lot of integrity to say: "Here I am, take me or leave me," knowing that so many will choose to leave. I just want you to know I'm not one of them; you can rely on me."

Bahar didn't know what to say to that, or really how to respond at all. For a long time she just stared at the blond, scrutinizing her the way one might the shimmer of water on a desert horizon. Real or not real? True or false? Time waits for no decision. It progresses on schedule, bringing events into the present exactly on time, regardless of context or convenience.

At that moment the earth rumbled beneath them, gagging and gurgling as if sick, causing the two to spring to their feet and press palms and backs to the stone wall. From somewhere deeper inside the cave the sound of water floated up and, as they watched, a black wave with a white foam crest rushed into their field of vision. It stopped several meters away and receded, the emissary of a greater flood deeper in the stone. Cautiously, Bahar peeled herself from the wall and stepped forward, investigating.

"This is it," she breathed, excitement tingeing her voice as all thought of their previous conversation was drowned out by the revelation. " _This is it!_ This must be the Dark Spring all those possessed Digimon keep going on about! Or one of them at least."

"Bahar, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm gonna go check it out. From what we've heard, this thing's a powerhouse. If we could harness it, we could beat Tache in no time! We could be home by tomorrow!"

"I don't think that's a good idea." Ysault's voice was edged with fear, her brown eyes wide, arms wrapped around her torso as if cold. "The Dark Springs are evil. They drive Digimon insane and we have no idea what they'll do to a human."

"Power is power, Ysault," admonished Bahar, looking back over her shoulder and making a face she hoped was reassuring. "This thing is just a tool."

"Bahar I am begging you! Don't touch the water!"

…

"Why not?"

* * *

Content: Language


	29. Le Temps Passe I

Koji closed the door to his brother's room and went downstairs, wary of Koichi's desire for solitary contemplation but respectful of it nonetheless. He felt guarded, not at ease but not as cut off as he'd been in the preceding days, a small, but appreciated victory for the light twin. And really, what else was there to do? The day had seen enough action, exhaustingly so; it was high time for a little peace and quiet. Sleep remedies all ills, and those it doesn't remedy it helps. At least, that's what Koji told the persistent voices in his mind as they chided him for being negligent. After all, so many horrible things had happened while he was with Koichi it made him shutter to think what could happen when he was alone.

"I'm just down stairs," he whispered to himself, pausing at the banister. "I'll know if something's wrong."

"Koji." He started, turning sharply to stare down the hall into the dining room. Minamoto Kousei, no doubt freshly home from work, was seated directly across from him at the head of the table, hands folded, shoulders relaxed. Just like when he prepared for a particularly ferocious business meeting. This made Koji moderately nervous, the kind of nervous only a parent can cause, which in turn made him irritated.

"Yes," he responded shortly, not bothering to turn his entire body. His father, never one to miss subtle body language queues, pursed his lips but held his ground.

"Where's your brother?"

"Resting. He's had a long day."

"So I heard." There was a tense moment in which the two just stared at each other, each iron will waiting for the other to falter, each refusing to be the flexible one. Both knew what came next and neither was looking forward to it. "Come over here."

"Why?"

"Koji, come over here now." His nostrils flared in disgust and his jaw visibly tightened, but ultimately Koji gave. He walked stiffly to the table and threw himself down opposite and to the right, rubbing his nose with his thumb rudely. Kousei let out a small sigh, briefly looking up and to the left as if to consult some invisible advisor, nodding in agreement with its council.

"So what? What's this about?" He knew full well what it was about.

"Is there anything you want to tell me about today?"

"No." It was more of a snarl than a word. His father looked to the advisor again, his own jaw working in frustration.

"The principal of your school called. He says you caused a scene in World History, skipped out on clean up duty, and never showed up for kendo club."

"Yeah, so?"

"So this isn't the first time you've been defiant of authority. It's a recurring theme with you and as your father it is my responsibility to end it."

"A recurring theme, huh? Did they tell you _why_ I ditched?"

"Koichi had an episode."

"I found him collapsed outside! If I'd been allowed to escort him to the infirmary, that wouldn't have happened!"

"Which is why no formal disciplinary action is being taken, despite your instructor's request."

"Ass hole."

"And _that_ is why we're having this talk."

"Tch. I don't have time to listen to this."

"Do you have something more important to be doing?"

"As a matter of fact I do."

"And earlier today? Yesterday? Last week? Last year? Have you had something more important than your future to attend to during this whole rebellious teenage phase of yours?"

"Koichi needed me-"

" _Do not_ make this about your brother. This is about you and your complete disregard for all things rational. It has nothing to do with him."

Pause. Koji leaned forward, his palms pressing against the tabletop as his features took on a chiseled edge.

"It has _**everything**_. To do. With him." He kept his voice low and even, like each phrase was a block to be perfectly stacked. Kousei was unfazed, but not unsympathetic. Satomi had suspected something like this might be the cause of the younger twin's moodiness and had coached him on how to handle it.

"Look, son," he started diplomatically, lacing his fingers and choosing his words with great care. "I understand that Koichi's illness has been hard on the both of you."

"You 'understand' _nothing_."

"But you need to look at the bigger picture."

"Oh god, not this crap again."

"You will be graduating from high school soon and need to start thinking about university. How do you think this kind of behavior is going to look on your application? Or your grades, for that matter?"

"I couldn't care less about how my university application is going to look."

"Well you should! You're at a cross roads Koji and it's time to pick the right direction. You _need_ to think about your _future_."

"You're right. Never too early to start planning my career as your protégé. That is what you're talking about, isn't it _Dad_? I'll go suit shopping this weekend, raid your closet for a tie, cut my hair. Then I can be just like you and you can finally have the son you've always wanted."

"We've received a letter inviting you to a private, grant funded summer camp for gifted students." Smooth. Koji's blood was simmering, but he wasn't so out of control that he didn't recognize Dorian's rouse. Good. The sooner they could get out of here, the better. He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms and setting his face to neutral.

"And," he probed, keeping his voice cool.

"Satomi and I have discussed it and we think this could be a chance for you to turn this situation around."

"This situation," Koji scoffed, smiling mirthlessly and shaking his head. Then he returned his gaze to Kousei, eyes serious and hard. "Koichi's coming."

"We think it might be best for you to spend some time on your own. To get your head on straight. Besides, it would be much too stressful for your brother."

"So **you** think."

"Koji-"

"I'm not going without him."

"Damn it Koji, you have a real opportunity here! Koichi is a great kid, but his condition limits him. You, on the other hand, are strong. You have potential, Koji, and you can't let him hold you back!"

The simmering burst into a boil within Koji's veins. He stood, slowly, focusing intently on controlling the trembling rage that was coursing through his body, growing hotter and hotter with each stabbing tick of the second hand.

"He's your son," Koji hissed, his stare made of a thousand frozen, poisoned pikes. "He's you son and my brother and a better man than both of us combined!"

"I didn't mean to imply any insult to Koichi's character." It was meant as an olive branch, but Koji was past the point of negotiation. If they made it through this crisis with Tache, he would deal with the consequences of this night. And if they didn't, then he would have no regrets.

"We are leaving in the morning," he said through gritted teeth. "Koichi _and_ I are going to this camp and you won't hear from either of us until it's over. You're not going to stop us and you're not going to contact us. You're going to pass the time doing your job, screwing over your clients, and thinking about whether or not you even want to try and repair the damage you've caused."

"Sit down, Koji. We're not done here."

"Yes we are. We've been done for a long time, _Dad_ , and we're not starting again until you figure out how to be a father instead of a manager."


	30. Le Temps Passe II

Dorian scowled out at the idyllic scenery, suspicion written in every sharp edge of his form. They'd wandered away from the field where all three had first regained consciousness, had some encounters, learned some stuff, nothing any more groundbreaking than waking up in a parallel, digital universe in the first place. Still, the new information was as substantial as it was unfathomable, and Dorian did not enjoy feeling unsure or confused. That made him feel vulnerable. So when the group had stumbled across what could only be a Bed and Breakfast on the French Riviera, he'd instantly jumped onto the opportunity to pull over and suggest they spend at least a little time recouping in the most hospitable environment to date.

For Gomamon and Ysault, that meant playtime. She'd found a chest of bathing suits and the two were taking full advantage of the clear blue water. Bahar, Floramon, and Huckmon, though generally up for fun, lacked the affinity for being submerged necessary for swimming. So they settled for out-of-the-water play, busying themselves with sand castles and moats. Dorian preferred to be a stick in the mud if at all possible and thus remained fully clothed on the shore. He had settled on a blanket, arms propped on his splayed knees, the most subtle of slouches folding his back. _He_ was busy trying to catalogue everything in his head, trying to form it into a single, cohesive narrative from which he could derive their next inevitable step. Which meant no swimming. Or fun. Ever.

Sighing, Dorian palmed his forehead and rubbed his eyes, regaining focus. Lists. What did they know?

1) This world and everything in it was composed of the internet/ computer storage data the same way an organic universe is made up of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and the like.

2) The entities in this world were sentient and intelligent, though, as is true in humans, there were varying levels.

3) There existed one entity which was malevolent, capable of stripping these Digimon of that sentience, making once peaceful creatures hostile, and trapping entire areas in perpetual night.

4) Precisely what this entity was, what it ultimately wanted, the extent of its abilities, and how it came to be were still unclear. But it had something to do with a group of humans that had come to this world millennia ago and a Legendary Warrior of Darkness.

Another sigh escaped Dorian's chest and he rolled his head around, stretching his neck in frustration. It wasn't much to go on. The whole thing was intimately tied to the process by which they themselves had arrived in the Digital World, why they'd been selected, and the cycle this universe had apparently engaged in since its conception. A process he had yet to fully grasp. Gomamon had tried her very best, on several occasions, to explain the Digital World's history, and yet he just couldn't get it… on a comprehension level. On the surface it was simple enough: Live, corrupt, save, repeat. Every time a force of evil manifested, a group of human children representing some set of virtues were called in and partnered with Digimon for the purpose of purging the corruption. Live, corrupt, save, repeat.

In their merry band he was supposed to embody Loyalty, Bahar Justice, and Ysault Charity. Though Ysault's unending kindness and compassion certainly befitted a paragon of charity, Dorian had yet to work out how Bahar's continuous judgment or his hard head qualified them for such positions. Which was probably why Floramon had been able to "Digivolve" into the more powerful Kiwimon in times of crisis while Gomamon and Huckmon remained bound in their current forms. Ysault, for all her softness, had already proven to be the strongest of the three.

His eyes and mind wandered for a moment, gliding to the water and out to where she was splashing Gomanon. Her pale skin glittered in the sunlight, her laughter like distant wind chimes as she tossed her braid over one shoulder. It sent diamonds into the air. Dorian allowed his yearning to resurface, just for a moment. She was so beautiful, both in flesh and soul, admirable in every way he could imagine. Maybe when they returned to the human world…

 _If_ they returned to the human world. The thought came into his mind like a storm cloud, souring his dreams and snapping his brain back into focus. In order to leave the Digital World they needed to fix it. That was their duty as Digidestined and as moral human beings given purpose. But at the rate they were going that was never going to happen. He had a list of four things he understood to pertain to their goal and he didn't know how they connected. How one of these previous Digidestined groups could've caused so much damage. Hell, he didn't even understand how this Warrior of Darkness fit in. Was it some entity they created or one they didn't quite destroy? The enemy of these previous Digidestined or their ally?

He doubted the latter, yet something Floramon had said made him wonder. They'd discovered what little they knew of the other Digidestined in a… historical area was probably the best descriptor. It was a circle of stone pillars, each primitively carved with a single scene. Some were disfigured beyond salvage and others lacked context, but generally they were legible. A group of five humans, each with an elemental symbol above their head like a ghost or spirit. Fire, Light, Wind, Thunder, and Ice. A monstrous bat-angel hybrid sleeping in the center of the world. An epic battle. A sixth human, apart from the others, with the symbol for Darkness above him like the rest, but also inverted beneath him. And finally, perhaps most tellingly for their current circumstance, the inverted symbol of Darkness, alone, encased as if inside an egg. Floramon had said the whole thing kind of reminded her of a story she'd once heard in the Village of Beginnings.

It was some terribly clichéd plot, yet it hung in Dorian's thoughts like something relevant. Light and Darkness were estranged brothers living apart without understanding their connected natures. In the absence of the other, Light grew cold and jaded, admired by all yet loved by none, and Darkness became jealous of the attention Light received. He was consumed by pain and forgot himself, attacking his brother and dragging the entire world into a perpetual night that Light could not overcome by force. The two battled bitterly without understanding the why of their own conflict, until finally Light remembered they had been brothers before they were enemies. He called out to Darkness, seeking peace once more, but Darkness was too far-gone to stop himself. Darkness begged Light to end it and bring back the day forever, but the battles had taught Light wisdom and he now understood that, without his brother, he himself was incomplete. So Light stripped the corruption from Darkness's heart and together they sealed it away where it would never taint anyone again.

"Hey." He started at the sudden voice, extracting himself from his own thoughts and squinting up into the sun. Bahar gave him a smirk, a little pleased with herself for surprising him.

"Oh god, not you," he teased as she sat down next to him on the blanket. "Now I'm going to have to burn this."

"I was gonna burn it anyway," she shot back, black gaze cast out at the waves. "It's been contaminated by your dumb ass."

He chuckled, reaching across his chest to rub his shoulder. She grinned, splaying her knees and mimicking his sprawl with a significantly more pronounced slouch and no concern for the fact that she was in a two-piece bathing suit. The dark skin around her stomach folded as the taught muscles in her back visibly stretched, a tribute to her well concealed but always present tension. Even now, relaxed as she appeared, Dorian knew Bahar well enough now to recognize her readiness for the unexpected. She was completely prepared for an evil Digimon to burst up from the ocean depths, and the thought made him smile.

"Maybe Ysault can salvage it," he offered with a sigh. "Really, we shouldn't be burning anything, especially not a blanket that could come in handy later."

"I disagree. Only pansy's like you need blankets in this climate. Seriously, you are the most sensitive guy I've ever met. _Prince_ and the Pea."

"If I don't get my sleep, then my mind isn't at its peak performance, and then we would never have any idea what to do."

"Oh yeah, that's right. I forgot about you're all-powerful plans and how we'd be lost without them."

"Indeed."

They sat in silence for a minute, watching the waves out on the water, Huckmon and Floramon ineptly patting the wet sand into a castle, Ysault and Gomamon splashing each other. The laughter of their friends echoed around them like a memory, in the moment yet also somehow distant. Ysault couldn't understand why they were like that, always planning, always waiting for things to go wrong, just as they were both bewildered by and cherished her capacity for optimism. Her inexhaustible light in the oppressive darkness which hunted the three relentlessly. Thank god for Ysault and the unity she brought them. Because without it their merry band would've dissolved minutes after it formed. They both knew it. Absently, Bahar began picking at her chin, her nails working at a spot until it started to bleed a little.

"That's disgusting," Dorian groaned, shooting her a scolding, sideways look. Bahar snorted, rolling her eyes.

"You've mentioned."

"It's going to scar."

"And then my face will be ruined and I'll never be able to find a man and bear his children! You're absolutely right! I'll start reforming immediately."

"That's not what I-"

"That's exactly what you meant you sexist. But it's okay; I know I'm probably the first to call you out on it and it's novel to you that a person might not care about your opinion on her appearance."

"I was just commenting on a bad habit."

"You were criticizing."

"My mistake. It won't happen again."

"Damn straight." More silence where neither looked at the other. "And I'll try to be a little less defensive if it does."

"Much obliged."

"So… what were you thinking about? Before I distracted you with my disgusting habits."

"How badly I miss not having everything I say taken as an attack."

"I'm being serious." Bahar crossed her legs and leaned back, pressing her palms into the ground to support herself. Out of the corner of his eye, Dorian could see her staring at him, her eyes like piercing tunnels of night, shining in the sun. He ran his tongue over the front of his teeth, annoyed that she'd asked before he could concentrate his opinions into a flat statement. But that was Bahar: always keeping him on his toes.

"I was considering our enemy," he said cryptically.

"Mmm," she sighed with a knowing nod. " _La tache_."

" _La tache_? Is that what we're calling it now?"

"Gotta call it something, right?"

"True. And Tache is oddly appropriate, given what we know about it."

"I'll assume you're referring to its ability to body-hop and bring out the homicide in anything, in which case you meant to say "all" we know about it."

"Yes, given **all** we know about it. Regardless, I was considering a connection between it and that story Floramon told us."

"That adorable little anecdote about the Brothers of Light and Dark? It's a bed-time tale Digimon tell their babies to teach them about the importance of family or some shit."

"Perhaps, but have you noticed anything interesting about Digimon family dynamics? Namely that they don't seem to have brothers in the same sense that you or I would."

"What's your point?"

"I think the story may actually be an account of the previous Digidestined, or at least the ones depicted in that set of stone art."

"Suppose you're right," Bahar conjectured, biting her lip and furrowing her brow in thought. "We could guess that the "Brother of Light" was one of the original five Digidestined, and that sixth one was the "Brother of Dark." That would make the sixth Digidestined the enemy of the other five."

"Maybe initially," Dorian added, straightening and turning to face her as he became increasingly engaged. "But remember, the Brothers stripped away Darkness's pain and lived happily ever after. I think that angel-bat thing was probably their true enemy. This sibling rivalry thing must've happened on the side."

"Why would two brother's come to the Digital World to duke it out," she pressed, frustrated. "And why would history remember a side note better than the original story? Why memorialize the angel-bat thing on some forgotten rock but keep a legend about sibling rivalry fresh for generations?" Dorian raised his eyebrows and smiled at her, his blue eyes glittering like ice. "Unless… but that's ridiculous!"

"Think about it, Bahar. The story says they imprisoned Darkness's corruption; there's nothing about destroying it. If this corruption was somehow able to influence the Digital World or actually return, then some sort of warning or context would be necessary."

"That would help explain it's abnormal behavior," Bahar conceded with another nod. "And why the Digimon seem completely unable to handle or understand it; it's not another Digimon at all. We need to find out more about these other Digidestined, especially that Warrior of Darkness. If Tache is _his_ inner demon, we need to know what circumstances led to its creation and how the two were separated. How it was imprisoned and how the hell it got out."

"My thoughts exactly." They grinned at each other for a moment, pleased with their brainstorm. It wasn't effortless, but really, all things considered, they made a good team. Good enough to give whatever evil force they'd been called upon to defeat pause, at any rate.

"Hey Ysault!" Gomamon's voice sliced the moment as her head broke the water's glassy surface. She brought with her a ball of seaweed and a mischievous grin. "Look what I found!"

She held the ball between her flipper-like hands, her entire being radiating self-satisfaction. Tossing it up into the air with some questionable physics, she hit it like a volleyball towards Ysault. Gomamon's aim was pretty good, Ysault's, less so. All Dorian saw was a spinning mob of green and black growing at an alarming rate before the cold, wet impact knocked him back. Pain exploded in his face, radiating out from his nose as his vision and hearing grew momentarily spotty. He felt more wet on his face, warm this time, dripping, then someone holding something soft but a little rough to the wet, pressing him into it and tilting his head forward. Then everything cleared up and he knew what had happened.

"Oh my Dorian I am so, _so_ sorry! Are you alright?! No, of course you're not alright, you're bleeding. Are you concussed? Do you feel nauseous at all?"

"I'm fine Ysault," Dorian mumbled in a comforting tone, brushing Bahar off and taking command of his own limbs. "It's just a nose bleed, nothing serious. No need to fuss. Look, it's stopping already." He drew away whatever cloth had been shoved in his face to demonstrate the point, wiping at his nostrils with his free hand and giving her a smile. Ysault's brown eyes, already sizeable by nature, were wide and unnerved, her alabaster face all wrinkled up in concern. There was a softness around her middle that made itself obvious as she squatted before him, wringing her hands. Dorian couldn't keep the smile from his lips as he looked at her, forgetting his pain.

"At least there are some lessons to take away from this," Gomamon's high, nasal voice chimed in as she wiggled herself to Dorian's side, giving his hip a bump.

"And what, pray tell, is that," Dorian asked with an amused sigh, diverting his attention to his partner.

"Ysault should never be trusted with projectiles," she stated simply, blinking huge, sea green eyes. "And you need to hydrate more. You wouldn't have clotted so fast if you were well hydrated."

"Maybe I just have thick blood," Dorian started lightly. But then his gaze fell on the cloth Bahar had used to stem his bleeding and his expression darkened. "Damn."

"What," asked Ysault, fresh worry in her voice. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Dorian insisted, standing up and rubbing his fingers against his palm like it would clean them a little.

"Oh come on," Bahar shot as she and Ysault rose with him. "Spill it. I'd rather hear about it now than in three weeks during some stupid fight."

"Your confidence in me is inspiring," Dorian bit, tossing her a frosty look.

"Dorian please," implored Ysault. "Tell us what's bothering you?"

"Seriously, it's nothing," he insisted. "It's just… I liked this scarf…" By now Huckmon and Floramon had joined them and all six sets of eyes settled on the once creamy white scarf hanging around Doran's neck. Or, more specifically, on the bright red oblong now staining it.

"You're upset about the blood stain on your unnecessary article of clothing." It was impossible to tell if Huckmon was being condescending or genuinely trying to rephrase the source of Dorian's aggravation.

"That's a perfectly valid reason to be upset," Floramon interjected, sounding indignant on Dorian's behalf. "How would you feel if I got your armor all covered with pollen?"

"Really, it's not a big deal," insisted Dorian, raising his hands defensively and forcing a smile. "Huckmon's right; I don't absolutely _need_ a scarf. And this one was bound to stain eventually."

"That's exactly why I will never understand the compulsion to ware white."

"This is ivory, Bahar."

"Same thing."

"Bahar," Ysault's voice rose above their bickering, bringing all attention to her. She was chewing her lower lip, her eyes scrunched up in thought. "Did you see any peroxides in the bathroom?"

"Maybe," Bahar said thoughtfully, looking bemused. Then realization dawned on her and she grinned, pointing at Ysault. "Yeah, I saw some in the changing room below the sink."

"Why were you looking under the sink?"

"It's good to know what's available. For times like this."

"Just what sort of a time is this?" Dorian was going to continue the skirmish, but then he felt Ysault's cool, wet, slender fingers slide across his palm and he found his heart was beating much too fast to care what Bahar meant. Ysault grabbed his hand gently, smiling her soft, quiet smile as she led him back to the bathrooms, the Digimon and Bahar trailing in a curious precession. The peroxides were easy to find in their characteristic brown bottle and, though he couldn't explain what human toiletries were doing in the Digital World, Dorian was relieved by their presence. He was just strategizing how best to take this and any other medically relevant materials they found along when Ysault pulled the scarf from his neck and poured peroxide over the satin.

"Hey," he protested, not really wanting to add mildew to his list of problems.

"It's alright," she insisted, still smiling. "Look." The peroxides were reacting violently, fizzing and bubbling into a red-white foam on his scarf. She washed the foam away with cold water and, to Dorian's pleasant surprise, the blood came away with it.

"How do you know about this," he asked incredulously, staring at the stain in fascination.

"Oh, women know these sorts of things," Ysault laughed cryptically.

"Women know how to remove blood stains?"

"Period blood, you idiot."

"Bahar," Ysault chastised, pouring more peroxide and flushing in embarrassment.

"What? If the natural processes of our bodies make Sir Dorian here uncomfortable, then that's just too damn bad. He's gonna have to deal with it eventually, might as well clue him in now."

"I _know_ what a period is."

"Dorian!" The three shared looks of varying amusement, shaking their heads and laughing. Dorian's scarf hissed in Ysault's hands, a white field blotched with red.


	31. Le Temps Passe III

Koichi's eyes opened decisively, his lethargic body pulling itself into wakefulness with a groan. The world outside had darkened, the last rays of dusk filtering through the chicken mesh that covered his window casting blended shadows across the floor. Shame, he had really been hoping to sleep through the night. Or at least for more than an hour at a time. But no, that would be too easy. Just like living in his own house would be too easy. Such was his life now, his choice, to be locked behind iron wires or trapped within his own mind. There was no middle ground, no halfway point. It wasn't that he harbored any particular resentment towards the situation; he was, from a certain point of view, in a corner of "his own" making. It was just… without Tache's signal to fill his mind, other things had begun to expand in the vacuum. Memories some aspect of his will he neither understood nor controlled had drawn from Dorian. And he'd really had enough of other people's thoughts.

"Hey buddy."

Koichi didn't have the energy to fake surprise at Takuya's entrance. Even without the squeaky door, he still would've _felt_ the new presence. They moved like waves of temperature, some hot others cold, with the Digidestined burning with particular intensity. He'd sensed Takuya's warmth while he was still hovering outside, peering through the crack left by leaving the door ajar, debating whether or not to check on his friend. Koichi appreciated that struggle, turning to give him a tired but reassuring grin.

"Hey," he greeted, brushing hair from his face.

"Were you dreaming?"

"I'm always dreaming." The cryptic statement hung between them, stagnate, like some sort of quicksand. "I'm sorry. Yes, I guess you could say I was dreaming."

"Okay…" Takuya probed, his lips twisting into a well-natured but bewildered smile.

"Dorian's memories," Koichi elaborated with a heavy sigh. He brushed the hair back from his face again, biting his lips and tongue in frustration. "I wish I could just forget them altogether. Or at least go through and pick out the less personal stuff."

"Well," Takuya started, moving over and joining him on the bed. "You weren't really yourself at the time, but still, I don't think us having some sort of access to Dorian's past is a bad thing. 'Cause, you know, he never got the memo that sharing is caring or anything like that."

Koichi chuckled, shaking his head.

"I guess that much is true."

"Wanna talk about it?" He gave Takuya a sideways look, trying to assess whether he was just being supportive or was actually curious.

"Hydrogen peroxide is great for getting out blood stains," he offered. Takuya screwed up his face in revulsion, pulling away dramatically.

"Eww."

Koichi laughed again, softly, his mood already less sour for Takuya having come in.

"They also left a lovely stone memorial of our adventures in the Digital World, Bahar's a feminist, and…" He paused, looking out the darkening window again. Shadows obscured his features, even as Takuya leaned forward to get a better look. The Warrior of Flame blinked at him for a moment, hard learned tact keeping his burrowing questions at bay as he gave Koichi time to choose his words. "And I think Dorian may be in love with Ysault."

"Ah," Takuya breathed knowingly, nodding his head and making a "well poop" face.

"Yeah."

A moment of reflection.

"Any word on them? Bahar and Ysault, I mean."

"No," said Koichi, shaking his head and rubbing his face. "I can't control how the memories surface or in what order. And when I do see one, it's bizarre, not at all the way I'd expect a memory to be."

"What do you mean?"

"I took these memories from Dorian, but when I... play them, it's not from Dorian's perspective. It's not from _anyone's_ perspective. It's like I'm actually there, observing the events. Like I'm a ghost."

Another moment of reflection. Takuya could almost sense the subtext of that last statement, like a nagging voice at the back of his mind. But almost wasn't good enough and Takuya wasn't the kind of guy that dealt in subtext. He was the kind of guy that believed if someone wants you to know something, they'll just tell you. Izumi, on the other hand, was good with subtext and she _would've_ said something. Maybe even something helpful… The thought skipped across his mind, there one moment and dismissed the next. What had they been talking about?

"Are they all from when he was in the Digital World," Takuya asked, scratching his scalp. Koichi frowned in thought, nodding in affirmation. "Maybe that's why they're weird?"

"I suppose that's as good a reason as any," Koichi said with a shrug and a grin. He looked like he was going to say more, but stopped suddenly. A choking noise gurgled in his throat, arms and legs curling towards his torso, shaking.

"Whoa," Takuya exclaimed, flinching away, unable to stop the expectation of an attack from dictating his actions.

"It'll pass," he hissed through gritted teeth, pressing his eyes into his palms.

No sooner had the words left his mouth, his ribcage released and his body drew in a sharp, deep breath. Then another, and then a few pants. His hands relaxed, along with the rest of his body, but he didn't look up. An aura of fatigue descended upon him like a thin layer of dust, his burning flesh cooling much too quickly.

"That… happen a lot?" The question slipped out before Takuya had fully thought it through, and he kicked himself for the lack of verbal censorship.

"Less and less frequently," Koichi offered from between his fingers, unable to bring himself to look at him. Unwilling to show his already uneasy friend his bloodshot eyes. "It comes in waves."

"Can I get you something? Like water?"

Like your brother?

"No. Thank you, but I- I think I'll just try and go back to sleep."

You don't have to stay with me.

"You sure?"

Are you okay to be alone?

"I'm fine now. Really. Just tired."

"Sorry I bugged you."

"No. I'm glad you came to check on me. Would you mind closing the door behind you?"

So I can't hear what gets said outside.

"No problem, bud. I let you get back to your dreaming."

"Thank you."

* * *

Takuya slipped out, holding the handle so the door closed silently behind him and berating himself for the way the conversation had ended. When he'd first decided to check in on Koichi, it had not been his intention to do any actual talking. Now that he had, he wished he'd had a more comforting set of things to say. He wished he had the compassion and, he didn't know, whatever it took to focus solely on Koichi's suffering. That he could've forgotten the unrecognizing, empty gaze, the certainty in those fingers as they curled around his throat… who was lurking just beneath his friend's skin. The transition from Duskmon to Koichi had been comparatively easy; at least the two had separate faces. And, back in the Digital World, Duskmon couldn't possess the dark twin at will; he was one or the other but never both. Neither comfort was available to Takuya this time, and that brought up some uncomfortable questions about his friend's nature. Questions he didn't want to ask with answers he wasn't going to like.

That was a problem for another time. Right now, Koichi was safe, tucked away in a room where not even Tache's whispers could reach him. Whatever alter ego he had locked up inside was going to stay there. For the time being. Takuya nodded to himself, a silent affirmation that all was as well as could be expected. Then he turned, heading back up the stairwell. Grateful as they all were for Koichi's safety, he, Izumi, and Koji had lasted all of two days without their phones. While their charge was up and about (as about as he could be while being generally restricted to a few sets of rooms), the three of them were in there with him, talking, playing some game, generally hanging out. It was a little bit like the summer camp they'd all told their parents about, minus the rigorous intellectual, or in Takuya's case physical, as his parents were more liable to believe he'd been invited to a football camp, training. Then the sun started to go down and the strain of pretending everything was normal began to weigh too heavily on the older twin, and he retired to the ground floor bedroom. The others flocked out to the stairwell, to the internet and phone calls. To the sanctuary of not-closeness with a psychic.

Without Tache pressuring him, or really any wireless signal of any kind, the… particles in Koichi's brain had sought other sources of amusement. Namely, messing with the lights when he was frustrated and reading the other Digidestined like a library. He didn't mean to, obviously, the lights thing made him sick, but in the isolation, Takuya and Izumi had grown a newfound respect for how Koji handled his brother's ESP. With only three days of their vacation to use for reference, it was hard to say if things were getting better or worse. Dorian, perhaps still a little sore about Izumi punching him in the face, Koji shoving him into a wall, and Koichi causing a nasal hemorrhage while dissecting his brain, refused to be around them any more than was absolutely necessary. Which limited their interactions to morning meetings. For his part, Takuya didn't feel quite as hostile towards the Frenchman as the rest of his friends. Actually, he was beginning to think him rather reasonable, and the longer they went without an alternative plan of attack, the better Dorian's sounded. But that, too, was tomorrow's problem.

"How is he," Izumi asked, coming over to meet him at the second floor landing. Her hair was a collage of twists and braids, a testament to her anxious and bored hands.

"Good," Takuya answered with a shrug. He turned towards Koji, who was playing some sort of game on his cell phone over by the railing. "How long has he been having those… fits?"

"Since we got here," Koji answered, feigning disinterest. "It's those things inside him; they're more active at night."

"Of course they are," sighed Izumi, staring longingly down the stairs. "Is there really nothing we can do?"

"Right now? Stop fretting over him. He hates that."

"That's hilarious coming from you."

"Look, he's locked up in here, with the exception of supervised pee and bath breaks, until we figure out a way of dealing with Tache. That's bad enough _without_ us hovering."

"I know… I just… hate this! I wish we were back in the Digital World and I could just Spirit Evolve and hunt the thing down!"

"Don't we all, Zumi, don't we all." Takuya reached around her shoulders and gave her a quick, soft hug. He grinned, as if planning to tell some sort of lame joke to cheer them all up, but was cut off by a low buzzing sound. Both Koji and Izumi jumped, looking suspiciously down at his pocket. He laughed sheepishly, releasing his girlfriend and fishing out his own cell. A name flashed across the screen in bold letters.

"Hang on guys, it's Shinya," he said as he pressed the answer button and brought it to his ear. "What's up little buddy?"

" _We have your brother."_

His fingers went limp and the phone clattered to the floor.


	32. Angel's Dust I

"Takuya? Takuya!" Izumi's voice was sharp, but not shrill, resonating in a pale reflection of the fear that consumed the Warrior of Flame. All the blood had drained from his face, pooling on the floor at his feet with the rest of his organs and his strength. She caught him as he began to crumple, wedging her shoulder under one arm and grasping at his chest. The panic in her wide, jade eyes was obvious, but contained, focused into action as she shot Koji a commanding glance. He moved like lightning, scooping up Takuya's fallen cell, registering the caller ID, and pressing it to his ear.

"Shinya," he probed cautiously, navy gaze assessing his best friend in reserved worry.

" _Shinya is with us."_ His lips parted in shock, eyes meeting Izumi's in fear. " _He is safe. We will not harm or attempt to convert him so long as he is with us."_

"Then why take him," Koji hissed through his teeth, filling the silence as he concocted a more suitable threat.

 _"We told your brother we would. We warned him that, if he continued to deny us, he would force us into taking more drastic action."_

"Don't you dare try to blame my brother for this."

 _"Do not provoke us, Chosen of Light, lest you too should force our hand. We have no interest in the child, but we will not hesitate to make a permanent ally of him in the event of any foolhardy rescues or attempts to remove the Chosen of Darkness from our reach. Return the phone to the Kanbara boy. We would discuss terms with him. Only him."_

"You're not getting Koichi you bastards!" Silence. Koji worked his jaw in quiet rage, knuckles white as he gripped the cell. The outburst seemed to jolt Takuya back to his senses, his features hardening as he took his weight back from Izumi.

"Give it." There was no question in his voice, no desire for permission in his outstretched hand. Reluctantly, Koji yielded, handing the little blue box off like it was something both precious and filthy. Takuya pressed it to his ear, teeth grinding. "What do you want?"

 _"You know what we want. But not yet. All in good time. We will contact you again to make further arrangements. For now, rest peacefully, Kanbara Takuya. Your little brother does not even know he's a hostage. Take any uncalled for actions, look for him, or pressure us in any way, and that will change."_

Takuya continued to hold the phone for a moment after the line went dead, his face a mask of terror and rage. Izumi rested a hand on his arm, her eyes searching, concerned, but he pulled away. His breath was frayed, ripping at his nostrils as it pulsed in and out, every muscle in his body tight. Then, features twitching, he turned, heading back towards Koichi's apartment. Koji leapt into action, steel fingers grasping his arm as eyes like the edge of a knife sought his gaze.

"What are you doing," he hissed, now making a point to keep his voice low. Takuya snarled a warning, but Koji's grip held fast.

"What do you think I'm doing," he spat back, his voice uncharacteristically low. Dangerously low. "I'm going to find out where they're keeping my little brother and then I'm going to go get him."

"Koichi can't help you with that."

"The hell he can't!"

"Boys _please_." Izumi slipped between them, positioning herself between Takuya and the stairs. She pressed her fingers against his chest, catching his molten gaze and holding it in her own for a long, dense moment. "Not here. Upstairs in Dorian's room."

Takuya worked his jaw, chewing his tongue so hard he almost thought he could taste blood. Wordlessly, he turned, marching up to the sixth floor with terrible intensity. His body seemed to radiate with heat and wrath, like a barely contained forest fire eager to escape and commence its destructive mission. Izumi wanted to know exactly what had brought about this horrible change. Explicitly what message that call could've conveyed. Why the man she loved had so suddenly transformed into someone she didn't recognize. Someone who frightened her. Her need for answers was surpassed only by her desire not to disturb Koichi; he didn't need to see them like this. He didn't need this kind of pressure.

Dorian was, not surprisingly, in his room, sitting in his chair by the table. He was busy pouring over a pile of papers when the three entered, with Koji mindfully bringing up the rear and snapping the door closed. Disdain soiled his expression, which had been rather pleasant before they'd crashed his study party, his hands absently adjusting his scarf the way a lady might tighten her robe in the presence of intruders.

"Excuse me," he said, indignant with an edge of frost. "People in polite company generally knock before barging into someone's private space."

"What was that about!" Izumi ignored the French Digidestined, rounding on Takuya and Koji alike. Her own indignation did not conceal her fear.

"They got to Shinya," Koji sighed, leaning back against the door and crossing his arms. "They say they don't care about him, that they won't do anything to him as long as we behave, but still..."

"Behave," repeated Izumi, incredulity salting her tone. Takuya ignored the exchange, moving to Dorian and leaning over the table threateningly.

"You still have the phone? The one they planted in Koichi's bag." His voice was much too cold, his face too hard and his eyes too wild. Dorian pulled away from him, guarded.

"Yes…" he answered slowly.

"That chair. If we use it to connect him to their signal, will he be able to see where they're holding my brother?"

"Possibly…"

Takuya turned, looking back at his friends expectantly. There was an insanity about him, a barely directed craze that raised the hair on the back of their necks. Izumi frowned, not quite following the pronouns. Koji hardened.

"You can't be serious," he whispered, unblinking.

"I am _completely_ serious."

"Takuya, I know what you're feeling-"

"They have my brother!"

"And I won't let you give them mine!" Koji looked away, swallowing, regaining composure. "We have no idea what that _thing_ will do to Koichi if we use it, let alone the consequences of intentionally connecting him to Tache's signal again. Shinya is safe for now-"

"You don't know that," spat Takuya vehemently.

"Yes I do. Whoever was on the phone explicitly said not to go after him. If they hurt him then they have nothing to bargain with, no way to control us."

"You're just saying that to protect Koichi!"

"If I may," Dorian interjected, raising his hands defensively and getting up. "How do you know they have the boy?"

"The call was made from his phone."

"Did you talk to him? It would not be uncharacteristic for Tache to go after your families to achieve its goal, but there is, as of right now, no definite proof they have your brother, Takuya. If they do, then Koji is correct, he is probably in no immediate danger. Tache does not make idle threats, nor does it weave false promises. If the caller said the boy is safe, but will not remain so if you try and rescue him or otherwise displease Tache, then it would be prudent to believe him."

"Prudent," growled Takuya, his already balled fists shaking. "What's prudent is to get my little brother away from those crazy ass holes before they infect him or whatever! If none of you will help me then I'll do it myself."

He made a stiff, jerking movement, intent on barging right through door and Koji alike on his way to his destination. Dorian reached out across the table like lightning and caught his elbow.

"Wait," he hissed through his teeth, icy blue eyes almost aglow with intensity.

"Get off me!"

"I cannot allow you to do this."

Takuya spun around and drove his fist into the other's gut. Dorian gasped, doubling over and releasing his arm. It was official; all four of them had hit him. Short-term objective completed, the Warrior of Flame continued towards Koji's stonewall form. Izumi looked between them, torn, twisted every way. Dorian preaching foresight, Takuya out to save his younger sibling, and Koji defending his twin. There was no winning. There was no right side.

"Takuya, if you confront Tache now you damn your brother!" Takuya froze, muscles pulling in opposite directions. Dorian straightened, pressing one hand to the tabletop and the other over his gut. He looked pale and angry and deadly sincere. "Go to the Chosen of Darkness, tell him that your brother's been kidnapped, and he will do something incredibly stupid. We will probably loose our only chance at keeping Tache contained and your brother will be doomed by default. Go out on your own, sojourn down to the docks, and Tache's people will carry out their threats and move on to their second choice. Maybe even you. Moving down their list until we comply."

"I can't just leave him out there." Takuya meant to sound angry, but it came out frustrated, afraid, and hurt. He tightened his lips, holding in whatever stupid noise his body would undoubtedly try to emit.

"We're not going to," Izumi soothed, sliding to his side and pressing a warm, reassuring hand between his shoulder blades. "We will not let those monsters hurt the ones we love. We're going to defend them. We're going to save them. But Dorian's right, now's not the time to act. It's dark and we're all tired. We have to think. Plan."

"I already have a plan."

"And we can talk it over when Koichi wakes up. I'm sure he'll be willing to do anything it takes to save Shinya."

"We can't tell him." Izumi glared at Koji, frowning as she failed to comprehend why. Sighing heavily, Koji came off the wall and worked his way over to Dorian's side.

"It hurts saying it, but Dorian is right. If we tell Koichi, if we even hint to him that Shinya's in danger, then he will do something impulsive. We could loose him... So long as it's just Tache, well, he can keep a fairly level head and stay relatively objective. But for you Takuya, for any of us, he _would_ do anything."

"I am not seeing how that's a bad thing," snarled Takuya, throwing a stormy look at Koji and Dorian. The two stood solid, unyielding. There was compassion in Koji's eyes, sympathy in the most literal sense of the word, even as his own fraternal instincts held him in opposition to his best friend. Dorian, as always, was more dispassionate.

"The Warrior of Darkness has made it clear that he does not favor the idea of trying my instrument," he said evenly. "Confronted with this revelation about your brother's _possible_ situation, what, exactly, do you think he'll do?"

"Help me," Takuya shot, his lips curling back. "If my friend is still in there then he would help me!"

"That _thing_ is dangerous," Koji cut in, stepping forward and holding up his hands in a peace offering. "It is way more dangerous than any of us realize. It's also possibly our only option for finding out about Shinya without violating Tache's terms. _**If**_ Koichi _chooses_ to use it, and that's a big if, it can't be because of that. He _has_ to feel comfortable with it, no pressure, no strings. We don't know what it'll do to him, what sorts of side affects it could have, but if he learns Shinya's in trouble, then he'll stop caring about that sort of thing and I don't need to remind you about who he becomes when Tache's influence takes over."

"If Tache's influence takes over, and we plug it into their network, then it'll know where they're keeping Shinya," Takuya growled, stiffening under Izumi's fingers. "And what it'll take to get him home. It'll know what that _**cult**_ wants from me!"

"We all know what they want," Koji answered tersely, his patience fraying. "I know what you're going through, Takuya, I really do. But if you got your head back on then you'd see they can't have him. Sure, maybe you'd get Shinya back, but for how long? How long until Tache figures out how best to upscale Its little project and the problem becomes bigger than one cult? We have to keep him safe-"

"He's not safe! Nothing is safe!" Takuya's voice cracked like a whip, made all the more forceful by his downcast gaze and marble form. Forceful enough, at least, to stun the rest of them into silence. He let a tight sigh out through his nose, trying and failing to unclench his muscles. "I'm going to bed."

It was understood that he would not sleep.


	33. Angel's Dust II

Something had happened last night after Takuya had left him. Koichi could feel it; he knew it the moment he'd woken up to Koji slumped in a chair by the bedroom door. He knew it when Izumi had greeted him stiffly in the kitchen area before returning her teeth to her nails, most of which were already chewed back to the quick. And he knew it when both had tried to delay his departure for Dorian's room, where the five Digidestined had been checking in every morning. But perhaps the biggest sign, the thing that prevented any sort of "poor nights sleep" dismissal, was finding Takuya awake at 6:00 AM and at Dorian's side.

The Warrior of Flam looked ragged, face and frame both wired with uncharacteristic strain, black bags hung under his eyes like badges of suffering. He didn't smile when Koichi walked in, didn't respond with anything more substantial than a grunt to his ritualistic morning inquiries. Takuya didn't look or act like himself; all traces of the friend who'd come to comfort him the night before were gone. This new Takuya was all wrong, rage and panic drowning out any other empathic readings the dark twin might've gleaned. All of which brought fear into Koichi's gut, souring any chance at eating breakfast.

"What's going on," he asked, trying and failing to sound casual. Gingerly, he reached out with his mind, probing for the nonverbal/visual cues in which he'd grown fluent. Worry was normal, but what saturated the room was past worry. Even Dorian, who was usually quite good at shielding himself, leaked a concerned giddiness.

"Nothing," Izumi answered too fast, wiping her hands nervously on her lilac skirt. Koichi frowned at her, his searching eyes passing over her face, taking in the tightness in her jaw and general fatigue of her features. His gaze moved to Takuya and Dorian as the two exchanged meaningful stares, then settled on Koji. Only his brother met his eye, giving him the resolve to press forward.

"I thought we agreed not to keep any more secrets," he tried, feeling the warmth crash out of the air. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

"Well…" Once again Izumi tried tact, starting off awkwardly as she searched for the right words and something other than Koichi to stare at. She didn't seem to have much success in either endeavor. "The rest of us, well, we didn't want to disturb you, but we… talked."

"About," Koichi pressed, unsure if the tightness in his stomach was his own or the result of the room's toxic air.

"There's been a development," Dorian interjected, extracting himself from whatever silent conversation he'd been having with Takuya to meet the dark twin's inquiries. "The details are unimportant."

"Unimportant," Takuya repeated in a malevolent undertone. Dorian continued over him.

"However, it did force us to reconsider our options with respect to gaining insight into Tache's operation."

Fear made Koichi pale. His breath went shallow and sickness gnawed at his stomach as he met that ice blue gaze, and found he couldn't hold it.

"Koji," he tried, forcing uncertainty into his voice. "What happened?"

"Nii-san," Koji sighed, unfolding his arms and approaching his twin. "We have no leads, no idea what Tache's plans are or how it's going to carry them out. Whereas Tache knows everything there is to know about us, our strengths, our goals, how to exploit our weaknesses. This isn't like the Digital World; we can't fight with force, we need knowledge. I think you understand that."

"No… You can't mean… Koji tell me what happened! Something terrible must've happened to make you all like this!"

"It doesn't matter what happened," Takuya spat with a venom that didn't belong in his voice. "What matters is that we're flying blind and that's just not good enough any more. What matters is that we _**need**_ information and you are the _**only one**_ who can get it!"

"Takuya…" Koichi shrank away from him as if struck, backing to Koji's side. The Warrior of Flame met his soft, navy eyes and his wrath faltered. He ground his teeth, taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry. I didn't have an easy night," he offered, looking away. Play it cool. Koichi's like a cat: if you scare him off he will come back, but only if he thinks it's both sufficiently safe and worth the risk. A forced grin twisted his lips as he squeezed out a laugh. "It's still to early for me."

"It's a little early for all of you," Koichi responded after a moment of consideration, guarded, but hopeful. He didn't want to feel under attack. He didn't _want_ to fear his friends. There was a short silence in which they could almost hear the dark twin swallow. "Is whatever happened last night really unimportant? Or are you just trying to spare me something?"

"You don't need to hear it," Izumi tried softly, slipping over to Takuya's side and placing her hand on his shoulder. "Really, you don't. It literally was just a spark that got us talking and…" She trailed off, looking around for some assistance. Koji pursed his lips, coming around to face his brother.

"Koichi, this is your choice," he said decisively. "I don't want you to feel like we're pressuring you into anything."

The stillness was deafening. Everyone held their breath, waiting for what came next. Waiting for the world to fall apart.

"Don't ask me to do this." His voice was barely more than a whisper, his navy eyes wide and gleaming. "It _scares me_ , Koji. Don't put me through this."

"You make it sound like we're asking you to walk into Tache's lair itself," snorted Dorian, rolling his eyes at the dramatics. Izumi shot him a reprimanding look, but he brushed her off. "When all we want is for you to take a look into its mind. We'll all be there, watching, ready to pull the plug at the first sign of trouble because we don't want to see you out of control any more than you do. Hell, I'll even hold your hand myself if that would make you feel more… comfortable."

Koichi didn't dignify that with a response. He kept his eyes on Koji, pressing against his will, trying to communicate his meaning as cohesively as possible. He couldn't go back there, he just couldn't.

"We know it's a lot to ask," Izumi added, trying to calm both Koichi's nerves and the tension she could feel building in Takuya's muscles. "But _people_ are _suffering_ , Koichi."

"I know that," he snapped, moving his gaze to Izumi and side stepping his brother. "Better than any of you."

"We have to at least _**try**_!"

"Don't you think I want to! I wish you could just hook me up to some magical machine and solve all our problems, I really do! That's not how this works. I see what it _wants_ me to see, then I do what it _wants_ me to do. I can't not, I can't fight what's already inside me, I won't even try to deny that anymore. If you'd asked me when this began my answer might've been different but now I know better. I don't like being locked up in here behind iron bars and chicken mesh but I understand that this is the only way. I don't enjoy telling you no again and again, but someone has to stop this madness before it starts!"

"Nii-san, please! Just think about it a little; we would all be there and, like Dorian said, we could shut it off in an instant if things start to get out of hand. Three times now Tache has tried to get to you and three times now you've fought him off, and that was without any help at all! I don't like Dorian's machine either, but at least it gives us a say. At least it gives us a chance."

"I am not disputing that," Koichi murmured, so that really only Koji could understand him. "I'm saying that, if I go in there, if I see that ocean again… I can feel it eating away at me, calling me, whispering at the edge of my mind when I sleep. If I give it what it wants one more time, I may not be me anymore. If I use that chair, I might not come back."

"Okay," Koji nodded, biting his lip and placing a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Okay."

He looked back at the rest of the Digidestined, all clustered around Dorian's table, and gave his head a small shake. No. Takuya tore away from Izumi and slammed his fist into the table, so hard it made everyone jump. Dorian raised his eyebrows and looked off at the wall, running his tongue over the front of his teeth. Already scheming. Izumi made eye contact with Koji, giving him a defeated, warning look, her hands pale balls at her sides. The light twin nodded again, turning to his severely shaken brother and grabbing his shoulders. Koichi, for his part, was trying to keep a blank face and a brave façade. He just didn't understand the question or the consequences. Didn't understand why the only people he really trusted had accosted him all of a sudden. But he'd given the wrong answer, that much was obvious. Koji steered him out of the room and down a floor to the apartment directly below, his presence like a lighthouse in the mist, guiding him to safety.


	34. Angel's Dust III

"I'm sorry," Koichi sighed once the door was closed and he could let his guard down. He moved over to the kitchenette, pressing his palms to the counter and hunching over. Squeezing his eyes shut. "That wasn't what you wanted to hear."

"The only thing I'll ever want from you is the truth," his twin answered, coming up behind him and folding his arms.

"Even when _you_ won't tell _me_ the truth?" Koichi turned to face his brother, his gaze the most mild, passive form of accusatory. Koji sighed, nodding to himself. "Everyone's different today, you don't have to pretend they're not. If you're worried about what Tache can see through me-"

"It's not that," Koji cut him off with an intense look. "It's not that at all."

"Then what?" The light twin let out another sigh, moving his hands into the pockets of his khaki capris, muscular arms left bare by his blue tank top. He looked like a savior, one of those rugged antihero types everyone was so fond of. Yet Koichi knew better…

"It's Dorian's machine," he finally said, frowning. "I won't let anyone use it unless you are 100% comfortable with the risks."

"Well, I can assure you, there is literally nothing in this world, no set of circumstances or threats, that would make me comfortable with that thing."

Koji's frown deepened and he looked… taken aback. Once again, Koichi had said the wrong thing. He licked his lips nervously, blinking as if that could keep the fear at bay. What did they want from him? Stupid question. He knew what they wanted: that boy from the Digital World who'd stared down Cherubimon and rejected power. The one who was willing to die for their cause. And he had died for them. That's why this was all happening, because he'd died but hadn't stayed dead. Because he couldn't be who they wanted. Like Dorian said, he was what he was and there was no changing that.

"Koji," he tried softly, folding his own arms. "Do you need me to use that machine?"

His brother looked at him for a long moment, as if to study something that couldn't notice it was being watched. Koichi looked back, unfaltering, but not unafraid. He opened his mouth to answer, but was preempted by something unlikely.

"Hey," Takuya greeted awkwardly, plowing through the door without knocking, yet simultaneously stuck on the threshold. One hand was squeezing the handle like a tourniquet and the other held a small glass of water. The twins frowned at him, one amiable and the other suspicious, but he didn't seem to notice their disapproval. His eyes locked with Koichi's and he swallowed, pushing forward stiffly and offering up the water. "Sorry."

"There's no need," said Koichi with a small, confused grin, accepting the glass. In a gesture of good faith, he took a drink, then pulled back making a face.

"What? What's wrong," poked Koji, his eyes moving from his brother to Takuya's shifty form and back. Koichi laughed a little, taking another sip and making the same face.

"It's just kinda bitter. We should talk to Dorian about the water supply." Another drink, then he returned his attention to Takuya, shaking his head. "You don't have to be sorry. I realized this was going to be hard for you, it's why I wished none of you were involved. Now… I understand how much I need and rely on you all. You know that, right Takuya? You know that I trust you and am glad you're here now?"

"So why won't you help," he sighed heavily, his chest collapsing under the weight of his plea. "It's not like we're asking you to give in to Tache-"

"But you are." Koichi's stare was hard but calm, his will so powerful Takuya could literally feel it on his skin. "You may not think it's a big deal, that these abilities are simple and you can just… turn them off, but that's not how it works. I don't control them, _I_ _t_ does."

"But you **are** in control," Takuya insisted, wriggling his fingers nervously and exchanging an expectant look with Koji. The light twin remained silently removed, disapproving.

"No. You overestimate me," Koichi whispered, shaking his head and giving a small smile. Then, as if to snap the moment like a twig, he threw back the rest of the water, gulping it down quickly and shuddering. "Was that all?"

"Actually," Takuya shifted his weight, suddenly nervous, his eyes fixed on the empty glass in Koichi's hand. "Dorian has something else he wanted to discuss. Sent me down to make amends and bring you two back."

"Seriously," snorted Koji, not sure if he found Dorian's summons or Takuya's sudden willingness to be his lap dog more frustrating.

"Dude's got needs," Takuya shrugged, growing anxious as his eyes flicked to Koji, but were quickly drawn back to the glass.

"It never ends," Koichi said to himself, making a face and shaking his head. Takuya moved stiffly back to the door, opening it without warning and looking back expectantly. The dark twin winced at the sudden inflow of the world, like a wave of heat washing over him. His entire body tingled, his balance swaying for just an instant. Then, gripping the glass defiantly, he marched through the door, looking encouragingly back at his twin. With an exaggerated sigh and a face of his own, Koji followed, narrowing his eyes at his best friend as he passed. Takuya looked away, shameful, but defiant, letting the door close behind them and then taking the lead.

He'd thought the warmth was just a response to the wireless traffic that was always lurking outside the Faraday cages, but it didn't recede like he would've expected were that the case. Instead, the heat got worse as they moved up the stairs, the air growing more and more saturated with each step, until Koichi had to stop at the sixth floor landing, his breath shallow. How were Koji and Takuya not dying right along with him? It was so hot! He looked at them, perplexed, and at first they looked back, equally perplexed. Then they jumped, rushing to his side, their gazes falling to his feet. Strange, there wasn't anything at his feet. Nevertheless, Koichi looked down too, curious, and noticed something glinting in the morning sunlight. The glass he'd been holding was there now, broken on the floor. How'd that happen? Regardless of how, it remained a mess and he could hardly expect his friends or brother to suffer for his negligence. He reached down and grabbed the largest shard, gripping it tightly so it wouldn't slip through his sweaty fingers. Must've been the heat…

"Koichi stop! Drop it! You'll hurt yourself!"

Koji's voice rang through the building, resonating in the steel supports, and drawing Koichi's attention to his brother's frantic face. The younger twin had grabbed onto the hand holding the glass and seemed to be trying to pry open his fist. But if he did that, the glass would fall back to the floor and all progress in cleaning up the mess would be lost.

"It's fine," Koichi reassured, smiling as one might to a disturbed child. "I was carrying it, I can clean it up."

"Nii-san!" Koji gave him a wild, disbelieving look, his voice coming from far away. "Nii-san, please let it go, please! You're hurting yourself! You're bleeding!"

Bleeding? Koichi looked at his fist absently, noticing the bright red that was oozing between his fingers. Interesting. He'd felt no pain- _still_ felt no pain. With a shrug he decided to ignore his brother's request, brushing past him in a new quest for the trashcan in Dorian's apartment. The door handle was slippery, and he could feel hands on his arms and back, gripping. Something inside him responded, like a muscle twitching in his mind, and he felt the pressure lighten. He pulled away, experiencing the first tinges of unimportant pain in his shoulders. It didn't matter; they couldn't hurt him. Nothing could.

"Oh god. Oh god! What's wrong?! What happened to him?! What have they done?!"

Izumi's voice. He looked up and saw her at the door, face pale, eyes wide in horror. She didn't understand that he wasn't hurting. Not at all. For the first time in a long time he didn't hurt and that felt good.

"It's alright," he said reassuringly, smiling. She didn't seem to hear him. Her expression became more concerned, even as she stepped aside to let him pass. He moved to the table, recalling that the trashcan was somewhere around that and still intent to fulfill his clean up mission with the glass. Vaguely, he noticed that Dorian wasn't there. Weird, but not important.

He was just shy of finding his goal when the shock wave hit. He staggered back as if physically struck, reaching out wildly for something to catch himself, feeling his back collide with a taught, fleshy wall. A wall that felt like fire. Reeling, he spun, his uncoordinated fingers finding the edge of the table and grasping at that instead. They slipped on the laminated surface, but stopped his tailspin. Koichi looked around, seeking out something familiar, but the world had gone overcast grey. Instead of friends, his gaze found only pillars of light in the darkness, much too intense to look at directly. And voices. Voices everywhere.

"He's out of control. This isn't how it was supposed to happen! But for Shinya… Anything for Shinya. If this is what it takes then fine."

"What have we done? If I'd known- If I'd asked- Is it worth it? Will he forgive us? This has to help! This has to be necessary!"

"It's worked quickly. Interesting. And he seems to be sensitized to the signal already. That's good. Very good."

"Nii-san, calm down. Breathe slowly. You're alright. You're going to be fine, just breathe. It's not real, calm down."

He tried, he really did try, but the breaths simply refused to come in anything but short pants, his shoulders heaving. The heat had dissipated, leaving something much worse as his world continued to darken. Cold. Cold and wet. Koichi looked down at his feet, gasping and recoiling. Water- a dark pool of water, lapping at his ankles, sucking at his shoestrings, rising. It was coming from him, leaking out of his being, spreading. Dark gel coated his hands, black and ice cold, and from that gel the water poured, splashing into the ocean around him. He held them out and away from himself in horror, releasing an audible cry. The muscle in his brain flexed again, twitching out of control.

"Koji! Koji help!"

 _They can't hear you. No one can hear you because secretly, you don't want them to. Secretly… you want this. You've been aching to come back, haven't you. Aching to return to where you belong._

The tree… it was behind him. Koichi's breath caught as he both refused to look and couldn't stop himself. There it was, growing out of the water, pale, fleshy roots twisting towards him in an inevitable dance. Sacs of black mist swung at their tips, taunting him, tempting him, promising all the power he'd lost and more. Promising what his friends had so desperately wanted, offering the knowledge they'd all but begged him to retrieve. But in exchange for what? What did they want from him?

The roots attacked, coiling around his arms, legs, and torso, pulling him towards the tree trunk even as he kicked and thrashed.

"No! No, not again! Please no!"

The roots paid him no heed, squeezing the blood from his limbs, dragging him with fatalistic intensity. His eyes caught a glint of red in the grey and, with shrinking horror, he knew what was waiting for him. A sandstone chair just like the one from his dream, back arched over the seat, chains encircling. Except this time barbs ran the length of the chair's spine and, as he watched, Tache's shadow arms emerged from the headrest, long fingers beckoning. He grabbed the armrests as the roots twisted him around, resisting as they tried to force him into the chair. It was futile; they both knew it. Chains wrapped themselves around his forearms and calves, binding him to the seat ever tighter as the roots continued to push. He let out a scream of agony when they impaled him on the barbs, throwing his head back into Tache's waiting fingers combed through his hair, gripping his skull so tightly Its nails dug into his face.

 _I've been waiting for you. I've been waiting for this ever since they took you from me. We're going to be whole, Koichi, if only for a moment. Admit it, you're just as excited as I am._

"Koji," he wined, trying to focus, to push back through to reality. Just for a moment. Just long enough to call out to his brother. A single pillar of burning light glowed in the distance, a point of warmth he could still hold onto. It spoke words he wished he couldn't hear.

"Let it happen. We need you to let this happen. Stop fighting, Koichi, just relax."

"It hurts," he yelled, trying to explain, trying to make the light understand and come save him. But already he knew his cries were in vain. The light was thrown into shadow as a giant, thick root burst from the ocean depths, swinging a sack of black mist the size of a watermelon at its tip. His voice died in his throat, any further attempts at struggle smothered by fear. The root approached his trembling form like a sea serpent, slowly yet deliberately.

 _They've abandoned you Koichi, can't you see that? They've sent you to me in search of answers and I shall provide, but I want something in return. Now, stop resisting, or this is going to hurt even more._

The root pressed its cargo into his face and it exploded, coating his sinuses and lungs and eyes in dark powder. He choked on it, sucking in air to cough, but the root would not allow that. With Tache and the chains holding him in place, there was nothing Koichi could do. It rammed him, piercing his skin and burrowing into his stomach. His eyes went wide, his lips parting as every cell in his body was infused with Tache's virus, his fingers flexing in one last valiant tug against his restraints. Then all he knew were nightmares.


	35. Duskmon Returns I

Izumi was afraid. Truly, deeply, undeniably afraid. Which in and of itself was not unusual; she'd had some terrifying experiences. It wasn't even a new emotion for the day, given their current situation. No, it wasn't the fear that was disturbing, it was its source. Takuya was shaking with a fury composed of anger, frustration, confusion, and anguish. He didn't want to hurt their friend; but if that were to be his choice, she knew now, as he was, he would shove the needle into Koichi's brain himself. For his little brother, he would do literally anything, even things he'd regret halfway through the act. Even things neither of them thought him capable of. She warned Koji away with a look and he understood, shepherding his twin out of the room with terrifying urgency.

"Shit," Takuya barely waited for the door to close behind them to swear, hitting the table again and causing Izumi to wince away. "Shit!"

"Don't be so dramatic," chastised Dorian, standing up and moving to his kitchenette. "It's not like we didn't know this was a possibility."

"Don't be dramatic?! My brother's only chance just walked out on us and you don't want me to be dramatic?!"

"Takuya, please, calm down!"

"Don't tell me to calm down! I'm sorry Izumi, I really am, but we tried it Koji's way and that didn't work. Shinya's still out there and I have to do whatever it takes to get him back safely! And if that means I have to make Koichi uncomfortable-"

"Were you not listening just now? He is _terrified_! I don't know what other way exists, but we need to look for it-"

"Why? Because Koichi's a little scared? Because you and Koji don't want to push him? He'd be fine!"

"You don't know that!"

"If I may," interrupted Dorian. He'd retrieved whatever he'd been looking for and now turned to face the couple, icy eyes impassive. "There might be a way to increase the odds in our favor."

Both Izumi and Takuya paused, regarding him with confusion and suspicion. His fingers were twisted around a small, white, screw cap container, obscuring it, though he grinned as if they were supposed to know what it held. When neither appeared to comprehend what was so amusing, Dorian turned back to the kitchenette, nodding to himself. Humming as if in thought, he grabbed a glass from the cabinet, filled it up with water from a reservoir, and, keeping his back to the couple, poured a white powder from the container into the water. It fogged the liquid for a moment before dissolving as he swirled. Then he turned to them and offered the glass to Takuya.

"I planned for this eventuality. Now, take this to your Chosen of Darkness and bring the brothers back up here."

"What is it," asked Izumi suspiciously, causing Takuya to pause, considering.

"Water," answered Dorian with a shrug. Still Takuya hesitated, causing Dorian's brow to crease a little. He let out a small sigh, his blue gaze never wavering from Takuya's vibrant orbs. "Do you want to save your brother or not?"

His jaw tightened and his features hardened in resolve. The Warrior of Flame took the glass from Dorian and started stiffly towards the door. Izumi grunted in disapproval, reaching out and hooking her fingers over his forearm. He didn't look back at her; he barely even paused, just pressed forward and out the door. Down the stairs. And into the lion's den. Koichi was standing there with his brother, as if they'd been having an intense conversation just before his entry. Too late he thought to knock, so instead he lingered in the doorway, trying to compress all his anxiety into the door handle.

 _What am I doing?_

The thought barely had time to coalesce in his mind before he met the elder twin's inquisitive gaze and felt his will steel. What was necessary. He was doing what was necessary. He had no reason to suspect this "water" would actually hurt Koichi… at least, not permanently. The same could not be said for Tache's particles in Shinya's brain. Still, his body was only partially responsive, reluctant to step over this particular line even as his fraternal instincts heaved into the void beyond. His movements were stiff and disjointed and really incriminating. Koichi's trust proved greater than his fear and he not only accepted, but actually drank the glass Takuya handed to him. All the while confirming to Takuya that, morally ambiguous as it seemed, this was the only way. He wanted to let Koichi be comfortable, he really did; he just wasn't willing to sacrifice his little brother to that cause. No, he decided, opening the door and leading the twins back up the stairs, he'd put his faith in someone with actual successes credited to his name. Dorian had saved them in that alley, not Koji and most certainly not Koichi, and Dorian was the only one with a plan of action. Takuya chose to put his faith in that.

They were on the sixth floor landing before whatever Dorian had done to that water took effect. It started small, a tingle through the air that indicated Koichi was no longer close behind him. In learned unison, he and Koji turned, their eyes trained to the dark twin's form. He was panting as if the stair had been some great exertion, a sheen of sweat glistening not only on his face, but also on his arms and chest where his maroon V-neck T-shirt left skin exposed. One hand tightened around the glass Takuya'd given him while the other groped blindly at his back, looking for the railing. Then his eyes closed and his hands went limp. The glass shattered at his feet, spraying shards in all directions.

"Koichi!" Koji was the first to react, starting forward as instinct overruled foresight. Crunching under his feet made him pause, considering his options. Regardless, the sound of his voice jolted Koichi back, though he didn't seem to recognize anyone had spoken. He followed their horrified gazes to his feet, blinking in bemusement before arriving at a decision of his own. Without any regard for the consequences, he reached down and grasped a particularly large shard of glass, gripping it so tightly it cut into his hand. The sight of his brother's blood threw Koji into hysterics and he leapt across the minefield, fingers working at Koichi's fist as crimson liquid began to run towards his wrist.

"Koichi stop! Drop it! You'll hurt yourself!"

Koichi smiled at him, his grip not loosening despite his brother's best efforts.

"Isssfinn," his voice was slurred, his speech distorted and difficult to understand. "Illclen.. it up."

"Nii-san!" Koji gave him a wild, disbelieving look, his fingers worrying all the more urgently. "Nii-san, please let it go, please! You're hurting yourself! You're bleeding!"

He was ignored and brushed off as Koichi began to press forward once more, clearly intent on getting to Dorian's apartment. Glass crunched under his feet as he staggered, his face flushed and neutral. Sweat made his hair stick to his neck and if he had any sense of the damage that was being done to his body he didn't seem to care. Koji rounded on Takuya, livid, his own rage catching the Warrior of Flame a little off guard.

"What is this? What the _hell_ is this!" Takuya flinched away, his brown eyes darting to Koichi's obviously drugged form.

"I don't know," he confessed, unsure if his ignorance of what, exactly, Dorian had put in that water made him more or less guilty. Whatever he'd thought, whatever worst-case scenario he'd worked up in his mind, it didn't even come close to this. Luckily for him, Koji had more immediate problems than punishing Takuya. He shoved the brunette aside with excessive force and went to corral his brother. Koichi was having none of it. He struggled, straining against Koji's superior physical strength. Then Koji felt a searing pain crash through his skull, extracting a yelp from his chest and causing his grip to loosen. There was a series of horrible cracking sounds like joints popping and Koichi tore free, dropping the glass shard and thrusting open the door.

"Oh my god," Izumi cried from just inside, her voice shrill and terrified, letting everyone know that she'd noticed the dark twin's blood and or dissociated state. "Where are you going? Koichi, stop! Let me look at your hands!"

"Isaright," he said, smiling at her. A drop of blood reached capacity on his pointer finger and fell to the ground, splashing bright red into the otherwise colorless room. Izumi opened her mouth to say more, but was cut off by Koji.

"Stay away from him," he growled from the doorway, one hand gripping the frame while the other pressed to his skull. His eyes had become blood shot and he looked… like someone she would've avoided under different circumstances. "Don't touch him."

"What's happened," she asked urgently, stepping out of Koichi's way and allowing him to wander to the table on whatever mission he'd assigned himself. "Is this Tache?"

"Ask your boyfriend," Koji hissed with venom, crossing the threshold and closing the door. A moment later Takuya followed, again closing the door. His face was pale, his expression severely shaken. "Ask him what he spiked into my brother's drink!"

" _I_ spiked the water," Dorian's voice came from the other room. Koji felt the urge to go back there and murder the Frenchman and only an overwhelming concern for his twin's safety held him back. Koichi didn't seem to hear any of them; he'd stopped just shy of the table and seemed to be frozen there, gaze fixed on a point past the floor. His twin approached him cautiously, wary of startling him a second time. Dorian, unaware of the drama happening just beyond the shadows, continued, unfazed.

"Phencyclidine. It's been shown to cause substantial cortical activation in humans."

"Phenyl what?!"

"PCP. Ozone. Embalming Fluid. Hog. Angel Dust. Don't you have drugs in Japan?"

"What have you done to my brother!"

"PCP increases synaptic glutamate currents and glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter. More excitement in the brain, lower threshold for any activity induced by Tache's signal, higher probability of tapping into any information stream inherent to that signal. And, because the contact would be drug induced, it should terminate once the intoxication wares off. At least that's the theory."

"You drugged my brother because of a theory?! And you! Did you know about this or were you just following instructions!"

"They have Shinya! In my shoes you'd have done _exactly_ the same thing!"

"When will this… drug… when will it ware off," Izumi asked, moving towards the chair room and refocusing the conversation. Dorian looked up from his work at the computer, frowning a little in thought.

"Normally 4-8 hours, but his case is probably unique. He seems to have an abnormal sensitivity; it usually takes at least half an hour for PCP to take effect after oral ingestion."

"I could've told you this would happen," spat Koji, still hovering by his twin's side. He desperately wanted to shepherd him back downstairs, to treat his hand and keep him safely away from this insanity. But he couldn't risk touching him- hurting him again. He didn't seem to register the pain in his limbs, which made upsetting him all the more dangerous. For the moment he seemed content, if not entirely there.

"We were supposed to have a moment to discuss how to proceed, but our timetable has accelerated. We can deal with trust issues and blame later; right now we need to take advantage of the PCP intoxication. I have the instrument all prepped, so if you would kindly bring him in here, we can get started."

"Koichi is not going _anywhere near that thing!_ I am taking him downstairs to wait this out and when he comes to we are _leaving!_ "

"You can't take him out of this room. In this state he is undoubtedly more vulnerable to wireless attack. It would be best if we initiated contact on our own terms in a controlled environment."

"Did you not hear what I just said?"

"I'm sorry, we seem to be experiencing a misunderstanding. You're under the impression that there's a choice involved."

Koichi gasped suddenly, his head snapping up as he stumbled backwards, struck by some invisible force. He collided with Koji's chest, bouncing off it and whirling around, fingers clawing at the table top, gaze wild. For a moment the twins met each other's eye, but any contact was brief at best. It was as if Koichi couldn't see them, like he couldn't see anything at all. His eyes flicked, following some fly as it buzzed around the room, his breath trapped in shallow gasps. That's when the pain started. Koji grunted, his hand moving involuntarily to his brow, pressing over his face for a moment. Water… he could hear water, the swelling of an ocean. And cold. He peered through his fingers and saw Koichi standing in a lake, holding hands coated in some kind of black gel as far away from his body as possible as water poured through his fingers. Koji closed the space between them, grasping his twin's face and forcing their gazes to meet. The dark twin's pulse raced beneath his cold, clammy skin, his pupils dilated and unseeing.

"Nii-san," he called, willing his brother to hear. "Nii-san, you have to calm down. You need to breathe. This isn't real- none of this is real! You've been drugged, but you're going to be fine. Calm down."

"Get him in here now!"

Koichi opened his mouth to say something, but no sound emerged. Instead a wave of static crashed through the room, raising the hairs on Izumi and Takuya's arms. The lights grew brighter, burning in the sudden surge of power. Koji was physically blown away. He released his brother and stumbled back, hands pressed firmly into his skull. Izumi rushed to his side, checking him over, her words and worries trying to simultaneously sooth and motivate. Takuya dove for Koichi, grasping at his arms and waist, dragging him forcibly into the back room.

"I'm sorry buddy," he murmured, wishing he could block out his friend's cries of protest. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. I'm sorry."

Dorian met him at the door, adding another pair of hands to direct Koichi's thrashing body towards the chair.

"I've attached and activated the cell," he grunted, holding the dark twin's right wrist to the armrest and securing it there with a strap. "Just… hold him still. Hold him still! Or he'll hurt himself even more. This will all be over soon."

Takuya nodded, following suit and securing Koichi's remaining limbs. Izumi pulled Koji up, dragging him into the room behind her and leaning him against a wall. He was unresponsive and, as she watched, his nose started to bleed. With a cry of frustration, she dug for a handkerchief or tissues or something in her pocket. Anything to stem the flow. Koji grabbed her wrist and gave her a wide-eyed, hard look, like he wanted to say something but couldn't. Electricity coursed through the air, tingling on her skin, making it impossible to even fake calm. Takuya grabbed Koichi's shoulders, pushing him as gently as he could into the chair so as to clasp the straps across his chest and lap.

Koichi screamed in earnest as his spine met the conductive gel along the chair's back, sending white light into the fiber optic chords and illuminating the entire room.

"Close the door," ordered Dorian, busying himself with fixing the headpiece. "If you want this to mean something you will close the door. We can't let anything else in or out."

Begrudgingly, Izumi abandoned the light twin and pulled the ajar door closed, throwing them into complete darkness were it not for the light from Dorian's machine. The lightning crashed out of the air, releasing its grip on the Digidestined and granting them a relief none could help but appreciate. Koji, free of whatever force that had cowed him, stood, his livid face accentuated by the blood track from one nostril over his lips. He strode forward, torn between beating Takuya, killing Dorian, and freeing his brother. The foreign Digidestined blocked his path, smart enough not to touch him, but still too bold to back down.

"It's done, Koji," he said in a low, even voice. "He's connected to Tache's signal now and the only way to end that is for the phencyclidine to run its course. If you want to help, tell him to relax. Ask him where they took Takuya's brother and how we can get him back. Then, in at most a couple of hours, it'll all be over. I understand that right now all you want to do is hurt me but that will not help your brother."

"I think in the long run it will."

"Maybe so. But in the short run Koichi needs you to help him through this ordeal. Tell him to stop fighting and let it happen. He'll listen if it comes from you."

Koichi gasped suddenly, tugging against the padded straps, fingers flexed, eyes wide. The capillaries within those eyes were enflamed and, as they watched, reached a stress capacity and burst. Blood pooled in the sclera, pupils dilated and black and consuming. Then the life left his body and he collapsed, head lulling against his chest, friends left in complete and total shock.

* * *

Content: Drug use


	36. Duskmon Returns II

It was a long time before anyone moved or so much as breathed, as if they were all encased in glass and the slightest disturbance would shatter time itself and carve them up into a million blaspheming pieces. Izumi hovered by the door, tears burning in her eyes, gaze fixed on the dark twin's still form. How… how had it come to this? Takuya had backed away and was frozen several paces to the chair's right. Koichi's blood was smeared across his arms and shirt and face. On his hands. On _**his**_ hands. And if this… horror, if it wasn't enough, would Shinya's blood join his friend's? His brown orbs moved hesitantly to Izumi's ghostly form, but she wouldn't look at him. Neither wanted to see what he'd become. Consequences would come later; right now there were more horrors to be committed. This had to be worth it. This had to be necessary.

"Nii-san," whispered Koji, raw, unabashed terror lacing his breath. If it had been anyone else the world would've fractured, but some how Koji's voice fit. He was the only one allowed to speak. "Nii-san!"

"I'm here, Koji." The sound was like a static shock, causing them all to start and shiver. Koichi's voice was oddly flat, as if he was either unaware of being tied to a chair or he just didn't care. And wrong; it sounded all wrong. Koji pushed past Dorian and knelt before his twin, taking his hands in his own and frowning in concern. Responding to the contact, the older brother lifted his head lethargically, struggling to get it balanced on his spinal chord. His eyelids lifted, revealing matted black pupils and irises in a sea of bright red. "I'm everywhere."

"Are you alright," Koji asked urgently, trying to hide how deeply these sudden changes in his twin affected him. He wiped the blood from his nose, leaving a shining red stripe from his right pointer finger along his forearm to his elbow, then cupped his brother's cut palm, feeling the warm, sticky, wetness coat his hands. Apply pressure, stop the bleeding. It was something he could do. "Are you… you?"

"It hurts," Koichi laughed, a manic smile twisting his lips as he stared through Koji. "Like when you ripped it out of me. Like when you cracked open my ribs and tore out my heart, only this time they're putting something back in. I am me… but I'm also more. I know things, Koji. I see…"

"I'm getting you out of this."

"You will not." The two looked at each other and Koji didn't recognize the person he perceived in his brother's skin. It was his voice, his face, and yet not. Koichi's reflection in a distorted mirror. "If you remove these restraints I will hurt you. And I _want to_ , Koji. I've already decided how." He closed his eyes, the slightest of frowns creasing his brow as he took a steadying breath. "Don't give me the chance. _Please_."

Koji had no words. His jaw slackened, eyes widening as his body perceived the threat his mind simply couldn't comprehend. The conflict paralyzed him, making his breath shallow and his heart race. Still, he understood, could recognize the wisps of Duskmon in his brother's mannerisms. This was real. It was actually happening.

" _Come now, Onii-san, don't act so surprised. You knew this was coming. Somewhere inside here, you always knew."_

"Koji, get a hold of yourself," chided Dorian, coming up behind him. "This is a drug induced dissociative state. It will pass."

"Will it?" Koichi moved his muted gaze upwards, demon eyes fixing on the eldest Digidestined. "You would know, wouldn't you. You always know just how things will play out, just what to do to direct the course of events. How very convenient."

"Yes, it is," said Dorian mildly, his own ice blue gaze unflinching. "Now, are you connected to Tache's network?"

"That's not my name."

"Can you see where the base of operations is located? What are they planning and how do we fight it?"

"Fight it?" He let a low, sinister chuckle hiss through his teeth. "There is no fighting it. Darkness is coming and it cannot be stopped. The night is inevitable."

"Focus. Where is Kanbara Shinya? How can we rescue him?"

"Shinya?"

Koichi's voice cracked, his wild eyes blinking as his smirk faltered. For a moment a fog lifted from his being and he looked around, eyes scanning Koji, then Izumi, and coming to rest on Takuya. The Warrior of Flame fought the urge to wince away, his jaw tightening and his arms folding as if that could disguise how uncomfortable he felt.

"He looks like your mother, laughing over a cake with white frosting and strawberries. Streamers pop in the air. Seven lights?"

"Shinya's birthday," murmured Takuya, nodding a little as he struggled to hold that piercing, haunting gaze. Tried to look into those overcast pupils instead of focusing on the bloody whites. Koichi nodded with him. "The day we went to the Digital World."

"You were both happy then. Not now. You're afraid. Afraid of what I'm going to do to him. You should be."

"Koichi-"

"That's not my name," the dark twin snarled, his form tensing once more. Koji shot Takuya a warning glance as his own grip tightened on his brother, but the goggle head did not get the message.

"Where is he?!" Acid laced his words as Koichi's stare pressed into his gut, forcing his body to contract. He bent forward, fists clenching, lips pulled back. Hackles raised.

"He doesn't know. He's not afraid though; he doesn't know me like you do. You never told him about me, about how I tried to kill you. About how I broke you."

"Damn it Koichi!" Takuya's self restraint snapped and he advanced, shoving Koji aside and gripping the armrests just in front of Koichi's hands. The right one was slick with blood. "Tell me where my little brother is!"

"Back off!" Koji pushed back, pressing one hand to Takuya's chest and sending him stumbling off balance. His fingers left red-black streaks on the brunette's shirt.

"Stop it! Both of you!"

"Did you think I would tell you what you wished to know? Did you believe you could just wake me up after all this time and I would comply? That I wouldn't remember who tore me apart in the first place?"

"Koichi, what are you-"

"That's not my name! Call me what I am or nothing at all."

Silence.

"I know what you are," Izumi voiced what they were all too stunned to say.

She stared across the room, stone faced, just taking it all in. Koji on the left, Takuya on the right, and Koichi, strapped to a chair in the middle. All three battered, covered in blood which clotted on their skin and glistened in the white light of the fiber optic ceiling. How easy it had been to turn them against each other. How easy it continued to be to pull them like puppets across a stage. Well, she for one wasn't going without a fight. She was going to strain against her strings, to do what needed to be done because no one else could.

"Or at least, what you think you are. What this drug has reduced you to."

"Izumi," Takuya cautioned, turning and grasping her shoulders as she advanced. He had a wild look of his own, communicating his urgency through a grip that was too tight. "Don't get near him."

"I can handle myself, Takuya."

Her voice was sharp and formal. A coldness emanated from her being, signaling that she'd neither blamed nor exonerated him for his role in bringing about their current situation. It stung. For a moment he could see himself as she saw him: a monster born of grief and wrath. And it was a hideous, sad sight that sapped the will from his fingers and forced his hands back to his sides. He broke eye contact, nodding his submission. Steeling herself, Izumi pressed forward, but not too close.

"Duskmon," she whispered, meeting his eye with her own fear inspiring intensity.

"Yes," he answered after a long, tight pause, calm once more.

"We destroyed you."

"In a manner. But then you brought me back, allowed me control over this body once more. It was a foolish decision."

"You understand why you're here, then."

Izumi kept the conversation on the matter at hand, focusing on her objective and allowing everything else, every subtle insult to herself, her friends, and Koichi, to pass. This was all a shit-storm, no doubt about it, but she was good with storms. Getting both Shinya and Koichi back, that was all that mattered and, unlike the men, she would not allow this figment to derail her.

"To give you information about my other self."

"Are you going to?"

"It lingers in another body, trapped, pressing to be made whole. My goals align with It, not you."

"I don't think that's true."

"Do not allow these restraints to deceive you; you cannot keep me here. I will be made whole and then I _will_ cover this world in darkness."

"No," Izumi said, shaking her head and holding eye contact. "You won't."

"If I may-"

"Not now Dorian."

Izumi held out her palm behind her in Dorian's general direction, her focus remaining fixed on it's subject. There was a pause where the two stared each other down, a battle of wills to see who could wait out the other while the whole room held its breath. Finally, the dark one cracked.

"What do you know of my goals? What do you know of me," he sneered, leaning towards her as much as his restraints would allow.

She didn't smile back, didn't blink or budge. Slowly, her hand moved around her back to her side, still out stretched, fingers curling blindly in Koji's shirt.

"You know who this is, don't you?"

"The Warrior of Light," he answered without looking.

"That's not all," Izumi whispered the words from Koji's aching mind, pulling him closer so that he stood before his twin.

Had she moved her gaze as well, she would've seen the innocently hurt, confused look on his face. But there was no way she could've perceived what passed when Duskmon looked into that face. She couldn't have. She wasn't his brother.

"You know who this is."

"Koji?" And suddenly, like a switch, it was Koichi again. "Koji I- I don't understand."

"It's okay," the younger twin soothed, nudging Izumi to the side and kneeling once more, gripping Koichi's forearms. "We're going to get through this. You're going to be fine."

"They have Shinya. They're going to hurt him if they don't get what they want." Takuya tightened, but Izumi was by him before he could do much more, strong hands around his, jade gaze paralyzing. That gaze then flicked to Koji, urging him onward. He swallowed, nodding.

"Can you see where?"

"No. They can see me, but I can't see them. I'm connected, but separate still, inside but isolated. There's a message here… It tells me what but not where… I don't know where! I don't know where they have him! I can't-"

"Shh," Koji grabbed his face gently, forcing his brother to meet his eye. Refocusing his attention. "It's okay. It's fine."

"It's my fault." His voice cracked as tears began to glisten in those black and bloody eyes. "They took him to get to me, so that _I_ would understand. Shizuka warned me, but I didn't listen. I should've gone with her…"

The white light in the fiber optic cables started to flicker, casting strobe shadows around them. Dorian darted to the computer, wiggling the mouse and igniting the screen. It illuminated his concerned features.

"It's fluctuating. _Merde!_ " His palm smacked the tabletop in frustration, expression livid. "We're loosing the connection."

"I should've gone with her! I should've just given them what they wanted!"

"What does that mean?! Dorian, we still don't know where Shinya is!"

" _Tais-toi!_ I need to think. Koji, calm him down!"

"Nii-san, please! Stay with me! Focus on my voice!"

"I can see them. Oh god, there's so many! The Ocean fuels their anguish- feeds on it, growing spreading, spilling. Their pain…"

"Did you think to build a signal tracking system into this monstrosity? Can you see where it originates? Use that to find Shinya?"

"It's not a linear system! Every person infused with Tache's particles receives and transmits Its signal; it's impossible to trace back to the source!"

"My head… My head! Koji, it hurts! I can feel their pain, but I can't-"

Koichi screamed, howling as dark liquid glinted in his ears and nostrils. The lights continued to flash, erratic, illuminating the glistening scarlet which stained the room and its occupants before casting them back into shadows.

"Turn it off! Turn it off now!"

"But we don't know where they have Shinya! He said they were going to hurt him!"

"I don't care! _**Turn it off!**_ "

"I don't understand this… it… it's reversed. He's not receiving Tache's signal anymore; he's producing it."

"It's power! Their pain gives me power… I remember this; I know what comes next. I will become the darkness! I will command it and them and help the Ocean spread! I can't stop!"

Reality began to crack around him, like static or the distortion of overlapped images and sounds, his own form suddenly immune from the electronic light. At first it was subtle, the faint sound of water, salt in the air. Then the slivers opened wider and a damp cold washed over them. An ocean, black as pitch and surging with inhuman hunger, lurked just past the tears Koichi created, responding to his call like a hunting dog to its master. Or perhaps the Ocean was the master. It controlled him, using the dark twin as a door into the human world, filling the Digidestined with a nameless dread.

"Damn it Dorian, you heard Koji! Turn it off!"

"But Shinya!"

"I don't have a choice, Takuya. He's overloading the system. I'm shutting it down."

The portals paid no heed, blinking like a dozen eyes as Koichi continued to ignite the fiber optics, independent of any external stimuli. Electricity charged the room, crackling and snapping in short arcs of purple lightning in the air around the Chosen of Darkness, keeping his expressionless face lit. Stunned, all four of them just stared, unable to comprehend what, exactly, was happening. Unable to move forward and adapt to their complete and total loss of control. Once again, it was Koji that broke the spell, pressing towards his brother, wincing as the sparks bit at his skin. Wordlessly, he ripped the helmet from his twin's scalp and undid the straps binding his chest and lap with frantic yet decisive hands. Removing him from all contact with the conductive gel which electrified his body and poisoned his mind. Koichi retched as the connection was severed, spattering Koji's chest with water and stomach slime and throwing the room into inky blackness. Then he just… collapsed into his brother's arms


	37. The Choice I

Everything hurt. His hands, his throat, his chest and stomach, all of it was cramping, shooting, stabbing, or just throbbing with a dull ache. Dry air rasped over even dryer lips and as he tried to move, he felt clotted blood tug at his skin. But the worst pain wasn't in his body. Koichi didn't remember most of the day, not in any sort of form that made sense; nevertheless, there was enough to piece it all together. The team fighting, ganging up on him, Takuya giving him the water, then Tache's hands and tree filling his lungs with black powder and his gut with roots. They'd gotten their wish, used his body to reawaken Duskmon, but to what affect?

He wanted to rub his eyes and push the hair from his face. Or something. Yet when he tried to move his arms a force pulled back, chafing around his wrists. Lethargically, he opened his aching eyes and looked down. Flexing his fingers. Feeling the pain in his heart deepen. He was still bound to that accursed chair, still his own friends' prisoner. A sob burned in his throat as he tried to struggle, straining futilely against his padded bonds. It was pointless. He couldn't get free. He would never be free.

"Koji?" His voice rasped, a pathetic echo of what he'd intended. Silence. Solitude. Koichi forced his head up, eyes scanning the room as he sucked in breath to try again. The words died in his throat.

There was someone standing in the corner. It was just a shadow, he _knew_ that. Rationally he understood there was nothing there, nothing but walls and baseboard and floor. No one. Yet the longer he stared, the more defined the figure became. She had golden blond hair tied in a braid over her shoulder and almond shaped brown eyes. Her body was lithe, her thin arms wrapped around her torso as if to hold some incomprehensible force inside. And she was shaking. Instinctually, he knew who she was, even though rationally he could not fathom how she'd gotten into a corner in his room. Even though he _knew_ she _couldn't_ be there. Ysault.

Firelight lit her features and she readjusted her seat on the log, pulling at her cream blouse and smoothing her black pants. Had she known she was going for an extended, extra-dimensional camping trip, she would've worn something more versatile. Layers, probably. Unfortunately, no memo had been sent out prior to this adventure. It was a split second decision, go through the portal or don't. No planning or logic, just intuition. Regret was the wrong word for how she looked back on that… But at times like this, in the dark cold nights of this moonless Digital World, she did wish she'd brought a jacket. Floramon noticed her distress and tried to use her petal-hands to rub her shoulders. Ysault smiled a little, reaching across her chest to grab the stem that served as a finger gently.

"Do you want me to get more fire wood," she offered, catching Ysault's warm brown gaze with her large blue eyes. The teenage girl widened her smile, wrinkling her nose and eyes as she always did when amused.

"We have enough as it is," she said in a high, lyric voice that had an almost musical quality to it. "Besides, I think Dorian and Bahar are already off 'getting more firewood.' If you go out too, then we'll have to build a cabin to justify stripping the forest to such a degree."

"A cabin sounds pretty good right now." Ysault's smile faltered and she looked forward again, staring into the darkness. A sadness came into her face and she sighed lightly through her nose.

"I don't want to stay here." Floramon coiled her stem around Ysault's finger and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"They'll be back soon. You know how Gomamon is; she won't let Dorian stay out too late. She gets sleepy."

"Yes, that's true…" Ysault seemed distracted and the sadness did not leave her delicate features. A shiver racked her lithe form and she leaned closer to the fire, holding her free hand towards its tongues. "Thank the Lord for Gomamon… and for Huckmon… And for you, my dearest friend." They sat in silence for a minute, holding each other like frail barriers against the dark.

"Please tell me what's wrong," Floramon finally said in a rush, coming around to face her partner. "I know there's something; please tell me what it is. I may not be able to do anything, but what kind of friend would I be if I didn't at least try!"

"Oh, Floramon." She gave a faint, compassionate smile, reaching out to stroke her Digimon's cheek. "I'm sorry. How long have you been this worried about me?"

"About as long as you've been worried about whatever's bothering you." Ysault gave her a sympathetic look. "Is it about the Poyomon?"

"The Poyomon… The Digimon that came before him and the ones that will follow. It's like a never ending whirlpool of sorrow and… I just feel so powerless to do anything against it. I know I was brought to this world for a reason and I _know_ that we're strong when we're together. But we're not together… We haven't been together since that night… Not since before then."

"Ysault! Don't talk like that!"

"Everything's falling apart and I just wish I could hold us in one piece. I just wish I was stronger."

"Hey," Floramon jumped at the voice, turning around to confront the newcomers. Ysault, on the other hand, wasn't startled at all. She looked up and gave a tired smile, striking up a new conversation as if the old one had never happened.

"Hello Bahar, Huckmon. Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Hardly," snorted Huckmon in his deep, gravely voice. Bahar smirked a little at his assertiveness, resting her hand on the small, steel dragon's head.

"But we're gonna keep looking."

"Tonight?" Ysault tried to catch Bahar's black eyes, but the Destined of Justice was determined to avoid her. Her curly brown hair hung ungroomed to her chin and, as she shook her head, shaded her face. Ysault's lips parted, her brow furrowing. "You're not going back out tonight?"

"Ysault," Bahar started, then, sighing deeply, she came over and settled herself at Ysault's side. Floramon budged over, releasing her partner but not moving far from her. Huckmon went to her and gave a reassuring nuzzle, smiling as best he could. Which just made Floramon even more nervous.

"You're leaving," Ysault breathed into the heavy silence, her voice a lament even as her face hardened into an emotionless mask. She didn't want Bahar to see how much that hurt her. Bahar gave a sharp nod, unable to meet Ysault's warm eyes. So instead she reached over and grabbed her forearm, giving it an awkward squeeze.

"I have to do _something_ ," she hissed between her teeth. "Dorian thinks we should hold back, hole up somewhere and come up with a plan, gather allies, all that military stuff. And I just can't do it. I can't just sit here while this Darkness spreads."

"You don't have to leave us…"

"You'll be fine without me. Floramon's got your back-"

"Don't try to make this about me and Floramon!" Ysault pulled away, standing up abruptly and rounding on Bahar. Her loose, golden braid swung over her shoulder, making a slight thumping noise as it hit her chest. Here eyes shone with pain she refused to let in her voice, tears sparkling in the firelight. "I understand that Dorian isn't the easiest person to get along with, but his intentions are good! He just wants to keep us all safe!"

"I know that," she spat, but to her credit, Bahar didn't get up. "Jesus, Ysault, just who do you think I am?" Ysault tucked her chin in shame, her thin fingers curling into tiny fists.

"Why can't we all go together," she asked in a small voice. "Why can't we stay together? We're friends, aren't we?"

"Hey." Bahar patted the seat next to her. When Ysault didn't move, she got up, taking the other girl's hands in hers. "Of course we're friends. Nothing's gonna change that. Not now, not ever. And it's not like I'm going away forever; we'll be back. Huckmon and I… we just need a little space for a bit. Spend some time on our own, you know. And if we find anything important, like a secret lair or that Dark Ocean everyone keeps talking about, we'll come right back and get you. Promise."

Ysault looked unconvinced. Bahar licked her lips, maneuvering her head so she could catch the gentle girl's eyes, giving her an earnest smile.

"Besides, I thought you might appreciate some alone time with Sir Dorian. He certainly appreciates alone time with you."

"Yes, I'm sure he would," Ysault whispered, somehow managing to look even more dejected.

"Come on, I've been third-wheeling since we got here. Don't try to deny it! See, this will be a good thing!" Ysault looked up at her, her face an incomprehensible mask of sadness. She wasn't going to let Bahar off so easily.

"What if we need you? How are we supposed to find you?"

"We'll stay close. Listen Ysault, I've always done everything you ask, even the things I didn't understand. But this… it's something I have to do. Don't stop me."

"I don't want you to go." Tears broke free of Ysault's eyelids and rolled down her cheeks, collecting at her chin like small gems. She was a beautiful crier.

"Shh," Bahar soothed, pulling her closer in a gentle embrace and stroking her hair. Ysault hesitated, then wrapped her arms around Bahar's back. Her frail form trembled as she cried into the brunet's shoulder, her Digimon hovering around her knees. "Shh, it's okay, it won't be for long. You'll be okay."

"What am I supposed to tell Dorian?"

"Tell him… Tell him not to worry."


	38. The Choice II

True consciousness returned to him decisively, like a jolt of current rushing through his mind and body. At first he resisted, wishing he could sink back into the inaction of sleep and the detachment from events he observed but couldn't change. But knowledge he hadn't had before floated at the surface of his thoughts and in his gut he understood that there was no going back. He knew Tache had Shinya and he knew what he had to do to return Takuya's brother to him. He could see the entwining threads of the master plan and had no choice but to play his part. After all, everything he'd done up until now had been according to Tache's wishes, why stop?

Koichi opened his eyes and sat up in one fluid motion. It was dark outside, orange sodium light mixing with the silver of a full moon to create the distinctive spectrum of city nights. Dorian stood at the foot of his bed, face blank, ice blue orbs almost glowing as he stared down at the Chosen of Darkness. Their gazes locked for a long moment, expressionless, neither blinking nor moving, like two statues missing that life-like quality of profound art. Wordlessly, Dorian turned, making his way to the bedroom door. Koichi pulled back the sheets and stood. Still fully clothed, he grabbed a blue cap to keep the streetlight from his eyes and followed the eldest Digidestined. The two passed like specters through the apartment, silent but for the click of the lock as Dorian opened the door to the first floor landing. Unimpeded until they reached the exit.

"I'm not even surprised," said Koji in a low voice, arms folded, back pressed to the wall, blocking their path. He'd discarded his vomit soaked, blood stained shirt and now stood bare-chested before them. His flesh glowed in the night light, his eyes like flecks of crystalline prisms as he watched, unblinking and unflinching. "After everything, the chair, the PCP, the conveniently intimate understanding of Tache's cult, I should've guessed it sooner. You _snake_ ; what have you done to him this time?!"

"Nothing." It was Koichi who answered, stepping forward to meet his brother. He silenced Dorian with a look, then met his brother's eye with a black and bloodstained stare. "He's done nothing to me. This is my decision, Koji."

"I don't believe that," Koji shot back, unable to keep the confused frown from his features as he pushed off and approached his twin.

"That doesn't make it less true." Koichi was trying to keep his voice level, trying to minimize the damage he knew he was inflicting, but his own hurt swelled to the surface. "This is _me_ , Koji, and I've made a choice. You don't get to be mad at Dorian for giving me that."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"Why didn't you tell me about Shinya?"

"Because I knew you'd do something stupid like this! I knew finding where they were keeping him would destroy you and I was right! Look at yourself, Koichi, you're shaking and sweating and you can barely stand! That machine almost killed you…"

"And being drugged and forced into it anyway is somehow better?"

"I didn't-"

"It doesn't matter. I had _a right_ to know, Koji. I _deserved_ to be told, but you all thought you knew better so you took my choice away. And I'm not mad at you; I understand why you did it, but it's time we both accept the reality of our situation."

"So what, you're just going to sneak out? Let this _foreigner_ lead you into an obvious trap? You were just going to hand yourself over to Tache and you didn't think _I_ had a right to know about it?"

"Obviously you did know."

"Damn it, Koichi, this isn't a game!"

Silence. A thin and fragile pane of glass between them.

"Isn't it?" Bitterness laced his words and he looked away, smiling mirthlessly at the bleak irony and shaking his head. "I remember this game from when we were in the Digital World. I remember being just a pawn then, first Cherubimon's and then yours. Don't try to deny it. _You_ defeated Cherubimon, _you_ defeated Crusadermon, _you_ destroyed Lucemon. Yes, you used my power and I know I played an important part, but ultimately I was just one of the little pieces on the board.

"Now though… Do you know what's worse than being a pawn?" He looked at Koji, hard gaze both expectant and dismissive, and Koji looked back. His face was set into neutrality, but his navy eyes betrayed him, shining with nameless pain. Five years together and his brother still had secrets. Koichi blinked and Koji could see the underlying helplessness, hear the source of his anger as his voice cracked.

"Being the king piece. Being the end. Hiding in the back as everything you love and care about dies all around you, protecting you, trying to keep you from the enemy because if the enemy gets you then it's game over. I can't fight my own battles- I can't even go outside. I have all this power, power like you wouldn't believe, and it is _useless_ to the people _I want to protect_! This is a game, Koji, and we have been loosing for a long time."

"Koichi…" whispered Koji, stunned. He wanted to reach out, but his hands wouldn't move. No part of his body would respond to his will, so he just stood there, blinking, like a child. "It's not like that…"

"Yes it is. Koji, I'm not telling you this to make you feel bad; I want you to understand. I want you to believe me when I tell you I'm _**tired**_. There's a second front to this war and it's raging inside me. I can't keep going like this. I can't hold back the Ocean any more."

"I won't loose you again. I won't let you give up."

"You can't stop me. I don't want to hurt you, Koji, but I will."

"No," Koji breathed, shaking his head defiantly. "No you won't."

"Do not push me."

"We'll find another way."

"There is no other way! There's no avoiding this! We were foolish to think there was." The air around the twins electrified, matting Koji's flesh in a tingling, uniform coat. Koichi dropped his chin towards his chest, his hair almost floating as whatever abilities the particles in his brain granted him came to life. Not for the first time, fear curdled Koji's blood and understanding gnawed at his gut. "Get out of my way, Koji. I'm ending this."

"I won't."

"Go!"

Koji stumbled back as if physically struck, one hand reaching up to cradle his throbbing skull. Blood trickled from his left nostril, a solitary bead making its slow way over his upper lip. He let out a snarl of pride and pain, meeting his brother's eye and matching his intensity. Decisively, Koji reached out with his free hand and balled his fist in Koichi's shirt, pulling him forward sharply. This caught the dark twin off guard, causing the static pressure to let up for just an instant. That was all Koji needed. He swung his brother around and pinned him to the wall, pushing his fist into his chest to hold him still.

Releasing his own hair, Koji reached around the back of Koichi's neck, grabbed his collar, then rotated his arm into place so the bone pressed like a knife across Koichi's jugular. Cutting off the blood flow to his brain. Immediately, Koichi felt light headed, his vision darkening within a matter of seconds even as he clawed at Koji's skin, nails biting into the flesh of his arm as something much more potent drilled into his skull. But Koji didn't let up. He held his brother's neck against the wall with as much intensity as he held back his agony, staring into his eyes the entire time, willing him to understand. Seconds seemed to pass one eternity at a time, caging the brothers in their conflict, but in reality it was no more than a minute. Slowly, Koichi stopped struggling. His world went quiet, then cold, and finally faded to black as his arms and eyelids fell. Koji released him and his unconscious body slumped forward into his chest.

Tears burnt in his eyes, clouding his vision and making it even more difficult for Koji to do what he had to. Gently, he scooped his twin onto his back, carrying him wordlessly past Dorian and back to his bed. The French Digidestined stepped nimbly out of the way, expression unreadable, comments either nonexistent or heavily restrained. Koji set Koichi down on the mattress, removing his shirt and cap before tucking him tenderly beneath the blankets. The unconsciousness would only last a few minutes at the longest; he didn't have time for more. So he took the garments, closed the door, and hoped that eventually his twin would understand. With a look he cued Dorian to lock the apartment behind him, twisting the deadbolt into place from the outside. A safety precaution that sickened Koji to use. Takuya and Izumi would let him out in the morning.

"They'll know you're not him," Dorian said finally, completing his task and turning to face the light twin. Still, his face was blank.

"Not at first," Koji shot back, pulling Koichi's maroon tee over his head, the fabric stretching taught over his muscles. He bunched his hair at the top of his head and pulled the cap on, leaving two locks hanging before his ears in an imitation of his brother's usual style, then looked at Dorian expectantly, "Not until it's too late."

Dorian gave Koji an appraising look, lips tightening over something he hadn't yet decided how to phrase. Their eyes locked for just an instant, but it was enough. Convinced of the light twin's resolve, Dorian turned back and exited the complex, Koji close on his tail. They walked in silence for another moment before his comment matured enough to emerge.

"You know they'll take you anyway."

"They're welcome to try."

"You shouldn't underestimate them, Koji. Tache is not to be played with."

"What do you care?" His words bit into still night, reverberating down the empty street and giving Dorian pause. For a moment the two just kept walking at a mechanical pace as the brunette chewed his lip, brushing coffee hair from his face. "You betrayed us."

"Yes, I did," he answered flatly, ice blue eyes moving decisively to meet navy. "And I'll bet it smarts. Now, imagine if you actually liked me. Imagine if you'd chosen to trust me rather than been forced into it. Your brother's metaphor is apt; this is a game and you and I are just pieces on a board. That doesn't mean we're not still people. That doesn't mean we don't have reasons for being here."

"You think that matters to me," Koji snarled, fingers tightening into fists. "You never had any intention of helping Koichi. You never believed he could fight off Tache!"

"Maybe," Dorian shrugged mildly, turning away from Koji. "Maybe I have more faith in him than all of you combined. It all depends on what happens next."

"Spare me."

"You don't get it, do you? This switch accomplishes nothing. If anything you're playing straight into Tache's hands. It _will_ take you, and then it will have the most effective weapon imaginable against your brother."

Koji stopped dead in his tracks, reaching out with an iron fist and gripping Dorian's shoulder. He turned him forcefully, fingers digging in between the muscle like he planned on tearing out a chunk. Their eyes met again and a flicker of doubt passed over the older Digidestined's face. Koji's light penetrating the hopeless shadows of his circumstance.

"I will _**never. Hurt. My brother.**_ There is nothing that _thing_ can do to me that will change that."

"Tache isn't just the remnants of Duskmon, you know," said Dorian, tone and face betraying his own pain for the first time. "It's the manipulative force that drove Duskmon's formation in the first place. It _is_ the Dark Ocean and it has driven people to do the most terrible things, influenced humans and Digimon alike in an eternal quest to exist. You won't be _hurting_ Koichi; by the time it's done with you you'll truly believe that you're helping him."

"That's bullshit."

"Tache is going to give you a choice and both answers will be wrong. You can resist and watch it consume your precious twin, hollow him out and stuff itself inside. Or you can give in, make this trade you're so intent on, and then you won't want to save him anymore. Then… you'll help it. You'll do what it asks."

"Is that your sob story? Do you think I'll forgive you if I pity you enough? You're pathetic."

"No," Dorian laughed, hollow and cold. "No, I'm just giving you the warning I never got. Not that I think I can persuade you to give up this foolishness, but I made a promise to someone very important to me. And I keep my word."

"As do I."

The Frenchman stopped, back rigid, face blank but tight, like there were a million things he wanted to say and do. And yet something held his tongue, restraining him, manipulating him just as effectively as he had them. In the back of Koji's mind, the first tingles of fear and doubt began to awaken, asking lonely, evil questions. What would he have done in Dorian's place? Or in Takuya's for that matter? Whatever this promise was, whatever bond drove him to treachery, was it any less sacred than his love for his brother? Indeed, he'd already attacked and imprisoned Koichi in the name of that love. Where did it stop? Dorian slid one icy blue eye over his shoulder, catching Koji's stare meaningfully. Then, without a word, he raised one finger and pointed down an alleyway. Moonlight glinted on the glass domes that should've illuminated this single, dark corner of Tokyo, but all the lights were dead. Koji didn't recognize where they were, but the salt in his nose told him their short jaunt had brought the pair closer to the sea. To the docks and Tache's supposed headquarters.

"How will I know Shinya's safe," he demanded, tone ice cold and stone hard. Dorian gave him another grin devoid of joy and humor.

"How did you know he was ever in danger? How do you know Tache ever had any intention of releasing him? How do you know he's not already back with his parents? The truth is you don't _know_ anything, Minamoto Koji; all you have is fear and trust, and they are a deadly combination. Remember that when it speaks to you."

"Shinya."

"I didn't know they were going to take the boy and I don't know how they plan to return him. What they gave me was a directive and I am carrying it out now. But if you want to know my best guess, I'd say Shinya's not here, to safeguard against any attempts to switch and run. He may be at the docks, or perhaps he's back at home already, you'll have to ask them."

"You're not coming?" Scornful.

"I've played my part and can do nothing more," Dorian said coolly, turning his back and retreating. "And, though it may surprise you to hear this, I don't actually want to watch them take you to Tache. If it's all the same to you, I'd rather spare us both that situation."

"Fine," spat Koji, keeping his back to Dorian and facing the alley entrance. "But fair warning: as soon as I know Shinya's safe and get away from these freaks, I'm coming for you. The next conversation we have will be much less civil you piece of _filth_."

"I look forward to it," Dorian chuckled, the faintest traces of emotion touching the otherwise bleak expression. Then he was gone and Koji was once more alone with the darkness.


	39. A Fair Trade I

Takuya was a man of many gifts, all of which had served him well in his relatively short but eventful life. Perhaps not the most notable, but definitely one of the more useful of these, was his ability to sleep. Or rather, the total control his body exerted over his mind when it became exhausted enough. He could sleep on buses, on benches, on rocks and branches and thorns. Wherever he was and whatever he was doing, when he got tired enough, sleep inevitably came to Takuya, which physiologically speaking was a good thing. Situationally it had its drawbacks. Like when exam time came around and Takuya had a million things he hadn't finished yet. How many times had he woken up with the pages of some textbook stuck to his face? How many times had he decided to take a quick break and come to hours later, curled up and drooling on the carpet? Inevitably, regardless of the worry in his gut or the static in his brain, sleep overcame Kanbara Takuya. And when that eventually happened, Takuya slept like the dead.

When the incident with the PCP ended it was just barely 7:00 AM, which was still well before Takuya's preferred 'start-the-day' time. Compounding the matter was the fact that this was probably the least pleasant morning of his entire life. Not only did he feel like a worthless pile of diarrhea, everyone except good-old Dorian was confirming it with every tangible fiber of their being. Koji tended to his brother, cleaning and bandaging his hand, stripping him of his sweat soaked clothes. He worried the blood and salt from Koichi's clammy skin, rinsing the vomit from his mouth, and finally redressed him in a fresh shirt and carried him back down to his first-floor apartment. The whole process took a good three hours.

10:00 AM. Izumi sat cross-legged in Dorian's kitchen, trying to chew her thumb nail back to the bed, eyes forward, foot twitching irritably. She neither spoke nor moved except to fetch Koichi's new clothes, and hadn't so much as looked at Takuya since warning him out of her way as she confronted Duskmon. Dorian worked at his computer, swearing and muttering in French as he tried to process whatever data he'd managed to collect.

Feeling decidedly unwelcome, Takuya'd gone for a walk, wandering the streets of Tokyo, his mind bouncing from question to question in an attempt to avoid what he'd just done and the repercussions. How many of these people were part of Tache's cult? What day was it? Was he even going to try and do his summer homework? Had he brought it? Was it a good day to go to the park? Which park? Had he brought bus or train money? Where would he go? What was he going to have for lunch? Could he afford lunch? Did he deserve lunch? If he could do it over, knowing what his choice would do to his close friend, would he change anything? Would he do it anyway? Each was little more than an entry in a random set, each a more pathetic attempt than the last at dodging his real question. Was it worth it? 2:00 PM

Frustrated, he'd returned to their secret lair, noting how the dilapidated building looked extra depressing this afternoon. It should've been raining or sleeting or something, but it wasn't. It was a lovely summer day, hot and humid, with a soft breeze and tingle of laughter on the air. Takuya had never imagined a situation where such lightheartedness would set his blood boiling, and the realization that that was the emotion steaming in his gut just made it worse. Still, Dorian was working and cursing and Izumi was not speaking to him. So he did what he'd been trying not to do all day and went to check on Koichi.

The dark twin… wasn't there. Sure, his body was in bed, panting and working up a fresh sweat, but his mind was gone. Sometimes he slept, fitfully, whimpering and moaning through cracking lips. Sometimes he sat up and just stared at the wall, face working it's way through some repetitive aerobic exercise as it passed from apathy to fear and back. Once, when Takuya had dared to venture too close, he sprang out of bed, kneed him in the solar plexus, pinned him to the ground, and held him there with a combination of his body weight and paralytic psychic powers. Then he just as quickly backed off, scooting away from the Warrior of Flame and pressing his bloodstained eyes into his palms. Just like a cat.

Koji, who seemed to think enduring the repercussions of his choices was at least a good start to his punishment, had done nothing to prevent the assault but guided the dark twin back between the blankets afterward. The room was silent but for Koichi's intermittent, incoherent fragments of whatever hell he was living behind his eyelids. The threat of something terrible if he did or thought anything Koji didn't approve of was ever-present. And it was all way more than Takuya could bear. 7:00 PM.

In the end Takuya found himself in a third floor apartment next to the one that served as his room (walls for privacy but no Faraday cage), back pressed to the wall, phone held to his ear. He was calling Shinya's number. Over and over and over. Ring six times, request for a voicemail, hang up. Ring six times, request for a voicemail, hang up. Takuya's fingers worked independently of his mind, persisting when, rationally, he knew it was hopeless. He wanted his little brother safe, so badly it hurt. He wanted him home and carefree and forever removed from danger. And if that was too much to ask for right now, he wanted to know that, in the near future, Shinya would be alright. So he was reaching out in the only way available to him, waiting for the answer that never came. Between the rings he planned what he would tell his little brother and after every long, silent voicemail he scripted what he could say to Tache's subordinates. Perhaps they'd take him instead? He was important to Koichi, right? He could be leverage? Yeah, not any more…

Eventually the building just stopped putting up with the tension. The walls retreated and he was outside again, walking the now empty city streets. Without cars and crowds, the roads looked never ending and, the longer he walked, the more plausible that seemed. At regular intervals there were street lamps, their orange glow holding off the inky blackness and allowing Takuya safe passage. But he could see past their rays and into the oppressive darkness, and what he saw made his heart thunder. There was no sky above this city. Instead, a clear membrane stretched from horizon to horizon, creating a fragile bubble. Past the bubble… there was an ocean. Its waters had replaced actual life with a mere hunger for it and, as he walked briskly down the street, Takuya could feel that hunger dogging him, waiting for him to slip.

A figure loomed ahead, standing stone still in the place where the lights ended. In one hand he held a gel-coated helmet with wires like a mane of hair. The other gripped a long, wavy, crimson blade. Takuya froze as he simultaneously identified the figure and understood that he could not know this person. Glowing carmine eyes met his in an expressionless stare. A face he had come to love and respect had been twisted, stripped of all humanity. And the worst part was, in his gut, Takuya knew this was his doing. He'd made this monster and he couldn't unmake it. Duskmon tilted his head ever so slightly and pressed the point of his blade into the membrane, stretching its delicate surface, threatening. Takuya opened his mouth to protest but his throat was too parched to make a sound and only air slipped through. Useless. The Warrior of Darkness cut away their only defense as Takuya watched, horror twisting in his gut. The ocean spilled in, engulfing him in ice-cold wetness, coating his skin with needles and pressing over his face, suffocating. It trembled around him, rhythmic, buzzing against his cheek. Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz. Taunting him with a childish melody even as the water forced its way into his lungs. Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz.

Takuya hauled himself into wakefulness, prying his cheek off of his cell phone screen and shaking off the last of the nightmare. Groggily, he glanced down, mind working too hard to separate past, present, and fitful dreaming. There was a name flashing beneath the glass, a name he couldn't register at first. Then consciousness hit him and he fumbled to answer, bringing the phone sharply to his ear.

"Shinya! Are you alright? Where are you?!"

"Nice to hear from you too."

"I'm serious Shinya, where are you!"

"I'm at home! What's the big emergency?"

"Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

"Hurt me? Takuya, what are you talking about?"

"Why haven't you been answering your phone?" Accusatory.

"Because it's been dead and I didn't bring my charger?"

"Bring your charger where?"

"Uhh, the summer retreat? You know, the one my class goes on over summer break? Like, every year?"

Takuya's insides froze, stilling his breath in his lungs and cramping his stomach. The summer retreat… The bonding ritual school classes preformed every summer. Why hadn't he thought of that! Why hadn't he remembered!

"Is everything alright with you? You left, like, a hundred messages and none of them had any words…"

"Everything's fine." He said it much to fast and he could hear Shinya frowning on the other end. "I was just… you know… Thought you were supposed to be back already. No one tells me anything." A forced laugh meant to lighten the mood shattered like glass instead. Pins and needles shot through the arm holding the cell as it reminded Takuya that it had been compressed under his body for far too long to be expected to function. Wincing, he transferred hands, letting out a little cough to fill the silence.

"Mom says we're not supposed to be bothering you because you're working hard."

"Yep! Nothing but blood, sweat, and tears over here!" The irony left a bad taste in his mouth. Feelings rose like a tide within him, heat mixing with the ice in his organs, sickness and elation churning, overwhelming. He coughed again, fighting for composure. "That doesn't mean I don't have time to catch up with my little bro!"

"Don't be weird! You're freaking me out with the sudden concern!"

"It's my privilege as your sibling to freak you out whenever I want." He paused for a moment, licking his lips and wondering, briefly, why he was having such a hard time seeing. What the lump in his throat was doing. "But seriously…I'm really glad to hear you're safe."

"Yeah, I figured. That's why I called, because it was weird. They were all like "You should let your brother know you're home," and then I get my phone back and there's a thousand messages from you, and I remembered that you had that Train Gang stuff going on, and-"

"They?" Takuya cut in sharply, his mind focusing like a laser as a new emotion poisoned his relief and guilt. "Who are they?"

"Just some people who run the camp. Kinda odd, but nice. They held onto my phone for me during the retreat; said they'd look for a charger or something. Actually, it was really weird. We were supposed to be back yesterday, but they said the road had washed out or something and kept us there until last night. That's when they gave me back my phone and told me to call my family. And on the way back the road didn't look washed out…"

"Shinya, I need you to listen to me." Takuya's voice had taken on a steely edge, his fingers pressing the phone so hard it was leaving a mark on his face. "What, exactly, did they say? And what did they look like?"

"Takuya, you're acting really strangely-"

"What did they look like!"

There was a long pause filled with Takuya's heavy, anxious breaths. Shinya chose his words carefully. Uncertainty stained his tone.

"Black eyes," he said slowly. "They looked like regular people except they had black eyes. And they told me to call you specifically. Not Mom or Dad, just you."

A shaky breath tore free before Takuya could stifle it, wracking through the air like a sob. He brought his numb hand up to his mouth and bit into his finger, trying to regain some semblance of control over his body.

"Takuya… why are you asking? What's going on?"

"It's big kid stuff," he answered automatically.

"Don't patronize me! I know something's up!"

"I know you do little man," Takuya almost laughed. "And I know you could handle it. But I need you to stay safe, okay?"

"How am I supposed to stay safe when you won't tell me what's happening!?"

"Those people with the black eyes. You see any of them, I don't care where you are or what you're doing, you run. Do you understand? And you watch out for Mom and Dad too. Don't let them near our family."

"Takuya-"

"I promise to explain if you promise to _stay safe_. Deal?"

"… Deal."

"I love you."

There was a long pause during which Shinya tried to process that. How bad were things that his too often scornful older brother was saying that he loved him? How desperate was whatever situation Takuya had become entrapped? Should he tell an adult? Every fiber of his body said "yes," but there was something in his soul that held his tongue. Something in his memory… In this, Shinya just knew that he had to trust his sibling. Swallowing, he decided to wait it out. To calm his brother's frantic nerves if nothing else.

"I love you too."


	40. A Fair Trade II

Takuya's hand went so limp after Shinya hung up that he didn't even have the strength to end the dial tone. Not that he could hear it anyway. His mind was whirling at a mile a minute, thoughts and images either too blurred to read, or not there at all. Of course he was relieved that his brother was back at home and out of immediate danger, but the terror and guilt that saturated the space surrounding that relief soured it. How had this come to pass? Why had Tache given up his bargaining chip without even making any demands? It didn't make any sense. What had the cult gotten in exchange?

 _"We all know what they want." Koji's voice, terse and frayed. Irritation trying to mask fear._

Koichi.

Electricity shot through his limbs as he stood, stumbling like some kind of uncoordinated drunk out the door and through the hall. One floor down he poked his head into the landing and screamed for Izumi, responding to some sequence of neurons that reminded him she needed to know about this too. But that's as far as it went before he was off again, tearing down the stairs, shoes squealing on the tile, sweaty palms slamming into dry wall as he bumped his way past every corner. Until finally he was on the first floor. Until once again new sensory input laid cement into his actions.

Koichi's door was closed, innocent, unassuming, except for one tiny, easy to miss, little detail. Dorian must've switched the lock while Takuya had been out, such that now the deadbolt was on the outside and it was the individual within the apartment who would need a key. Just like the key that was resting on the floor in the middle of the hallway, glinting, winking unassumingly. Placed out in the open for the explicit purpose of being noticed. Takuya swallowed hard, staring at it, trying to make sense of what this could mean. Trying to find a way around the inevitable conclusion that _someone_ was locked inside. The answer to who came shortly.

"Koji? Is that you?"

Koichi's voice. Koichi was still here; Tache didn't have him. He wasn't the one exchanged for Shinya's safety. The breath froze on Takuya's lips, his eyes widening as some terrible, horrible idea took form in his brain. And he'd believed himself the only one capable of taking desperate action on behalf of his brother. What had Koji done?

"Koji? Koji, let me out. There isn't another way, you know that. You know you have to let me do this. Koji? Are you there?"

"Takuya, what on earth?" Izumi stepped in behind him, pausing at his elbow and rubbing her eyes. She looked from him, to the closed door, then back to him, trying to force her hazy, morning mind to understand what about a door they'd left closed yesterday had triggered this visceral response in her boyfriend. She opened her mouth to inquire further, but only air escaped as her own adrenaline surged into action.

"Let me out. Let me out! You can't keep me in here! You can't stop the coming Darkness!" Each caustic scream was accented by a horrible banging noise as Koichi threw his weight against the door, causing it to tremble in its hinges. His rage was suddenly palpable, his intentions sickeningly apparent. In an instant Takuya knew what had happened last night, understood the consequences he'd helped trigger. And it made him want to die.

"You're nothing and your pathetic world means nothing! It has no right to exist. I will get out, Koji, and when I do the Ocean will drown every pointless person on this worthless rock. All you're doing is delaying the inevitable. It doesn't have to be hard; just unlock the door, and I'll take your suffering away. Can you hear me Koji? Open the door and let me out! Koji? _Koji!_ "

"He's not here!" Izumi's voice cracked like a whip, wakefulness now fully upon her. She stepped forward, past Takuya, and approached the door. Her confidence was tinged with traces of hesitation, but she pushed forward nevertheless, intent on learning what, exactly, had happened while she'd taken a moment to sleep. The dark bags under her puffy eyes were a testament to how well that had gone.

"It's Izumi and Takuya. Koji's not here."

"Where's Dorian!?" She winced, pausing for just a moment before pressing her fingers to the wood. As if she could communicate calm through the fibers. Her jade gaze flicked to Takuya, who gave a shrug, shaking his head.

"We don't know... Koichi, I'm coming in."

"No! You can't!" She paid him no heed, twisting the deadbolt until the lock released with an audible click. There was a rattling noise and, when she tried to turn the knob, it wouldn't budge. Izumi could hear heavy breathing through the frame and pictured Koichi standing there, leaning his brow against the wall as he held the door handle closed. "Please. I don't know what I'll do."

"Hey buddy," Takuya tried, taking several long strides to join the Warrior of Wind. "It's just us; Dorian's not even here."

"No," Koichi mumbled. "No, he's gone. He was going to take me to Tache to make the trade. Me for Shinya. But Koji stopped us. He locked me in here. Please, you have to go find Koji! He has to be around! He can't have…"

"He what…" Takuya fought to find words, his mind trying to unmake the connections as they formed. Trying to disprove what had to be true and sooth the rolling fear in his gut. Izumi caught his eye meaningfully, uncompromising and unsympathetic. He swallowed, biting his lip and looking away in shame. "Damn it Koji…"

"What," Izumi pressed in a quiet but firm voice. Both hands were at the doorknob, holding pressure in preparation for Koichi's eventual yield. Her face was a mask of professionalism, tension laced through her form. "Takuya!"

"Shinya's home." The words spilled over his lips in a slur, avalanche snow into a valley. "I got a call this morning. Shinya's home."

"Then Koji…"

Izumi fell forward as the door gave way, stumbling. Takuya shot out an arm and caught her waist, giving her a support to regain her composure. And she needed it. Koichi stood back, staring at them through his bangs with red eyes. Blood from yesterday still stained the sclera, fresh looking and vivid, contrasting his dark, matted irises. His pupils ate the light and his skin shone with a thin layer of cold sweat. He was shirtless, flesh unabashedly displaying the bruised bands around his chest and arms where the chair had held him. And the bandage around his cut hand was soaked through, russet stains under his chipped finger nails indicating that he'd done his fair share of picking and/or clawing through the night. For a long moment he just stood there, not moving, barely breathing, holding the pair frozen with nothing more than their fear. When he finally spoke, it was in Duskmon's low, harsh tone.

"Take me upstairs and prepare Dorian's chair."

"Hey buddy, don't you think you should-"

Takuya was in far too much agony to finish the sentence. Koichi struck him with a look, enflaming the capillaries in those brown eyes. He stumbled, back hitting the wall as his knees gave out. His hands hovered, unsure which was more urgent: the screaming in his head or the blood running from his nose. Izumi cried out, her voice shrill and painful in his ears. The dark twin just watched from the doorway, expressionless and yet still looking like he was enjoying himself.

"Take me upstairs now. I'm going to find my brother."

* * *

Koji was no stranger to playing it cool. He'd had years of practice, hours of poker faces with his father and teachers, and an arsenal of techniques for keeping the panic at bay. There was no vulnerability in his form or obvious care in his movements. Defensively, he kept his hands in his pockets and his chest open, broadcasting confidence so loudly, it drowned out his ever present anxieties. Now, as he walked down the street towards the darkness Dorian had indicated, he knew these were his best weapons. Stay calm and collected. Get in, make the trade, get Shinya out. And in the off chance that they held him for any appreciable amount of time, keep the façade firmly in place. Give them as much of an in as the rest of the world, which is to say, none at all. Don't give them a thought. Don't give them Koichi. In his core, Koji felt as if he'd prepared his whole life for this moment.

For a shadow cult, Tache's followers weren't very stealthy. He noticed them instantly, pressed into the walls, encircling him as he moved forward. Their proximity was like an electric field on his skin, tingling, pricking his hairs and ears. It quickly became apparent that stealth was not among their objectives; as he passed, they peeled off the stone and began to follow. Cutting off the exit. How annoying. He stopped suddenly, looking out from under Koichi's cap, eyes scanning for some sort of leader. One stepped forward, an older man in his twenties with no distinguishing features. Could've been anybody. Then he spoke and Koji knew him. His blood boiled.

"We've been waiting for you, Kimura Koichi," said the voice from the alley all those weeks ago. "Truthfully, it's surprising you've lasted this long. Impressive even. But in the end you came, just like we knew you would. You reawakened your power, your true self, and you realized there was no other option."

"Where's Shinya," Koji demanded, silently cursing the gruffness in his voice. He didn't sound too much like his brother… Something moved behind him and his muscles went taught. Tache's emissary laughed like grinding glass and Koji winced involuntarily. This imminent danger was so much worse than actual danger.

"The Warrior of Flame's little brother? He's safe."

"Where!?"

"At home, obviously. We dropped him off about an hour ago. Phone battery's dead, though, so alas he wouldn't have been able to confirm that. But don't worry, he'll call your friend first thing in the morning."

"What did you do to him!"

"Nothing, nothing. Merely suggested that his dear older brother might want to talk to him. We all know how brothers are."

"You're sick."

"With something I hope to share very soon. Now, come over here. There's someone who came to meet you."

"No thanks," Koji spat, relief spreading like a wave of energy through his limbs. "Now that I know there's no reason to be here, I think I'll just go home too. Later."

"Foolish child. Did you think we wouldn't expect such an attempt?"

Someone laid a hand on Koji's shoulder, but before they could get a grip he grabbed it, thrusting out his hip and swinging the cult member through the air like some sort of doll. Koichi's cap tried to dislodge, but he held it in place, intent on maintaining the deception as long as possible. Dorian was a mole, he could've ratted his twin's location. If they suspected Koichi hadn't honored whatever bargain had been struck, if they knew he was standing in, they could still get to the dark twin before Koji had a chance to move him. But that was future Koji's problem. Present Koji caught another of Tache's followers in the gut with his knee, driving her back and into two others like a chain of dominos. Smirking, he dodged another set of grabbing hands and allowed his fist to collide with someone else's face. This was too easy.

Then it started. His muscles turned to metal and he froze, overcome by something he couldn't name. There was a strange tingle in his gut and a buzzing in his mind, fogging his thoughts, making it impossible to act. One of the cult members made another grab for him and this time Koji didn't dodge. He couldn't even move. The cold was unimaginable, a portal of rain deep inside him. His breath came in short, erratic pants and his eyes struggled to focus. Reality bent around him, the darkness yawning out to engulf his paralyzed body as the sounds of whispers and water drowned his mind. Yielding instantly to the pressure, Koji gave his weight to his attacker and allowed himself to be essentially carried over to the leader. He crumpled to his knees when released, shaking.

"What have you…" he tried, but the words stuck to his mouth and he couldn't separate his own thoughts from the chorus in his mind. Dark water flooded his world, swallowing his legs and surging around his waist. Fighting back the numbness, he gave the man a livid look. "Turn. It. Off."

"You honestly have no idea what's happening, do you," he chortled. "The particles are inside you and they respond when they sense their master. We have no power over them."

"No… That can't be. They can't be inside me…"

"I should think you'd be past the denial by now."

"Don't be so hard on him, Yuki," cooed a new voice, high, musical, and completely unfamiliar.

Koji started, feeling shivers run down his spine as he searched for its source. She wasn't difficult to find; his entire world centered itself around her blithe form. Like a black hole. She was Caucasian, with tangled blond hair and black eyes which glinted like some kind of animals. Her limbs were thin and frail looking, her body almost malnourished, both very pretty and very disturbing. Instantly Koji knew who this was. He knew to what she was playing host and that knowledge caused his simmering blood to go cold and congeal.

"The Ocean can be very frightening for some, especially those who haven't yet admitted to the darkness within."

"But we've been grooming him. He should be ready."

"Not this one. This isn't Koichi Kimura. This is something even better." She squatted before him, her smile manic and grotesque. Koji tried to pull away, to get up and run or something, but his body just wouldn't listen to him. Wide eyed and helpless, he watched her thin fingers grasp Koichi's hat and toss it to the ground, releasing his hair around his shoulders. Then she grabbed his face, her palm pressing over his mouth as those same fingers gripped just below his cheekbones, bringing him close and forcing their eyes to meet. Her gaze was filled with victory and hunger.

"Hello brother. I can't even tell you how glad I am that you're here."


	41. From Shadows I

The sun never came out now. It was just dark and cold and silent. All the time. And it wasn't just the Digital World; the Digidestined barely spoke unless it was absolutely necessary. The darkness was inside them, worming its way between them like a parasite. Bahar had been the first to leave, abandoning them. After that it was Ysault. Not physically, but emotionally. She was distant. Her once light steps were heavy, her eyes downcast, and it had been a very long time since she'd laughed. There were still smiles on occasion, forced, frosty smiles. She drifted around like a wraith, listening to the quiet, conspiring with the shadows. The more Dorian tried to cheer her, to coax her back to herself, the further she withdrew. He'd thought if he could remind her of her own wonder, of how beautiful and perfect she was, she'd come back to him. Yet such things just made her sadder. A candle in the rain. Still he persisted, ignoring her ignoring him. Pushing and pushing. He should've known better, should've noticed earlier, but he didn't. When she finally did respond it surprised and thrilled him.

"May I sit down," she asked in a still, lyrical whisper. Their eyes did not meet.

"Of course." Her hands twisted in her lap and she watched them nervously. It was not what he had hoped for. Nothing about her spoke of reconciliation; she was dreading whatever had to happen next. Something horrible was coming; he could feel it in his gut, could hear it in her voice and see it laced through her form like an aura.

"Where's Gomamon?"

"Fishing. She said she smelled a creek close by and thought she'd give it a shot."

"You shouldn't let her go off on her own like that. It's not safe."

"Where's Floramon then?" Ysault didn't answer. She looked up into the trees, seeing something there beyond his comprehension and shivered. A stab of guilt tore into his heart like ice and he instantly regretted the snipe. "I'm sorry, I- Please, come closer to the fire. You're freezing."

"I'm fine."

"None of us are fine. Nothing's been fine since before we got here. Sitting alone in the cold can't help that. Now please, do it for me."

"Dorian…" She didn't move closer to the fire. If anything she withdrew, growing even colder, her voice loosing volume "I wanted to talk to you alone."

A jolt of butterflies and fear.

"I… I'm sorry Dorian. I am so sorry, but I can't give you what you want. And I can't keep letting you believe, if you're patient enough, if you're charming enough, eventually I will."

"What are you talking about?" He'd meant to keep his voice calm and a little defensive, blasé, but the hurt and cold understanding found their way in nonetheless. "Ysault, I just want us to save this world and get back to ours."

"Can we please just be honest? Just this once?"

"I am being honest! I don't know where this is coming from!"

"It's coming from the way you look at me!" Her voice finally broke as her brown gaze swung up to meet his, bringing a tidal wave of regret with it. "It's coming from the way you watch me and touch me and hope I'll reciprocate. Even before Bahar left you've been acting like we're- we're… I don't want to hurt you, so I- before this gets any further, I-"

She struggled to find the words to express whatever aspect of herself she was trying to convey, eyes darting back to her twisting fists as anxiety gnawed at her slim form. His heart swelled in his chest, pushing painfully against his ribs as he watched her. Whatever she was trying to say, whatever rejection she was trying to arrange, it couldn't hurt nearly as much as seeing her suffer like this. All because of him… Dorian swallowed hard, drawing on a well of affection and taking action. Just another in a long line of horrible, misguided actions. He stood, came around, and kneeled before her, taking her hands and bringing them to his lips. She shuttered, but he mistook it for a shiver.

"Ysault," he said gently. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I never meant to push or pressure you in any way. You're right, we have a job to do and we need to stay focused on that. There's no rush to be anything more than friends; just know that I'll wait for you. Whenever you're ready."

She gave him a look saturated with despair, like she wanted to say more and yet couldn't find anything else to say. Slowly, she pulled her hands from his grip, replacing them in her lap and chewing her tongue.

"I need," she started quietly, dropping her gaze and drawing away from him like a turtle into its shell. But her voice caught and she had to swallow, rephrasing. "I think _we both need_ some space. Just for a little while. To think."

Dorian stood, the firelight flickering behind him and casting a dark silhouette from which she couldn't help but recoil. Which, of course, stung even more like salt in the wound.

"Are you asking me to leave?" His voice was low and cool, concealing every trace of warmth and pain behind a frigid façade. Ysault shrank back, wrapping her arms around herself and glancing up at him.

"I just-"

"Don't mince words. Do you want me to leave or don't you."

"Please."

A thousand thoughts rang in that word. Please understand. Please accept. Please don't make this hard. But one was louder than all the rest, echoing through the still forest. The weight of it crushed him, waves of pain blinding him to her agony as she spoke, deafening him to her suffering as she did the only thing she could do. Ysault stood up, brushing by him to return to the dark forest, where her own nightmares waited greedily to consume her. She glanced back over her shoulder once and then was lost to the shadows.

Shadows which swallowed the world and his mind. Frigid and coal black. And inside the black a voice he could just barely make out. Whispers he wasn't meant to hear.

"You must think us all horribly weak, and I suppose we are, in our way. Justice turned to vengeance, Charity to despair, and Loyalty… Loyalty was twisted and had to make a choice. We were Chosen, just like you, and we failed, just as you did. But there was no one to pull us back, no lights to hold off the darkness, and whatever collective wisdom we had was lost when we drifted apart. Too few answered the call, but that's just another excuse. Just another way I try to shift the blame away from myself and those dearest to me. Still, I would ask for your compassion. Because, ultimately, we failed because we are flawed, proud, human beings with hopes and dreams and fears that were distorted and turned against us. Our greatest failing isn't that Tache defeated us, it's that we needed help and didn't know how to ask for it. Remember that when you pass judgment? Please?"

* * *

It was a long time before Koji was once again capable of understanding who and were he was. His body was catatonic, but to say he slept would've been incorrect on basically every level. His mind wandered in a place filled with pain, wading through black water as roots whispered everything he tried not to think. Time passed irregularly and to Koji, there was both an eternity and an instant between the moment Tache had forced him to confront It and the present. He woke up in the sort of chair one might use for electrocutions, with every limb and joint held firmly to wooden boards with thick, leather straps. This included his head, which was held immobile by a thick band across his brow, such that his range of vision was strictly limited to what his eyes could gather while strained in any direction.

"Comfortable," a high, lyric voice cooed from behind, sending shivers across Koji's flesh. "I know it's a little… restricting, but the transition can be stressful and I would prefer you not hurt yourself."

"I don't give a damn about your preferences," Koji spat back, throwing up a bravado and steeling it with anger. "Let's call this what it is: you've got me tied down because you don't want _me_ to hurt _you_ while you torture me for Koichi's location. Which is a very valid concern because _I am going_ to hurt you."

"Mmm, I doubt that." Tache came around so Koji could see It, reaching out to run Yasult's fingers along his forearm. Its black eyes stared through thick lashes, cold and unreadable. "I'm sure right now you would like nothing better, but give it time. You'll come around. You'll see that I really only have your best interests in mind."

"You're more delusional than I thought," he said with a snort, smirking at it defiantly.

"You want Koichi to be safe and happy and I want the same. We are natural allies; I'm a little surprised you don't sense it already."

"Our definitions of "safe" and "happy" are very, _very_ different. It doesn't matter. I'm not going to help you get him and there's nothing you can do to change that. He defeated you once; he'll do it again."

"Did he now," It laughed. The sound echoed like wind chimes through the empty warehouse, attesting its size. "Just what do you think I am that such a task could be accomplished by a 12 year old dead boy? How pathetic do you think me?"

"I don't know what part of him you think you are, but he rejected you and everything you represent. This whole crusade is pointless."

"Oh Koji… Koji, Koji, Koji. How little you truly understand. There is some of your brother within me, true. A shadow of him, a hunger. He gave me my awareness, but I am not him, nor am I merely a dark reflection of him. _I_ am so much more."

"Is that supposed to intimidate me," Koji spat, curling back his lips at it and straining against his bonds. "I. Don't. Care. It doesn't change anything. You're some abstract embodiment of evil; so what? You still want Koichi and you _still can't have him_."

Tache's smile twitched as irritation passed over Its features. Nostrils flared, neck muscles tensed, and black eyes narrowed. Then the smile was back in place and Tache slid forward, maneuvering Its legs across Koji's lap and through the holes between the armrests and the back of the chair, until It was straddling him. Its fist coiled in Koji's hair and It brought Its face very close to his. The pungent aroma of Its breath filled his nose and he fought the urge to recoil. Not that he had anywhere to go. So he met that black gaze with an icy stare of his own, defiant, daring It to contradict him.

" _ **Koichi is mine**_ ," It hissed. "And I will have what is mine. _You_ are going to bring it to me."

"I will not. I will _**never**_ betray my brother and there is _**nothing**_ you can do to force me."

"There is _so much_ I can do. I can regulate your dopamine levels and direct your actions. I can jack up your oxytocin until you're invincible, make you less compromising, consume you with envy. I can bring out your fear of pain with a little serotonin and with a dash of anisomycin I can take away your memories and do it all again for the first time."

Koji's breath went shallow, but he gave no other indication that any of this troubled him in the slightest. He didn't need to. Tache could smell it on him, and the perfume was intoxicating. It rolled Its head back, inhaling deeply and releasing Koji's hair, Its hands coming to a rest on his shoulders. He shuddered in revulsion under Its touch, which only served to heighten the thrill.

"I am the Dark Ocean, Chosen of Light. Everything that has a digital form, everything that is or was data, is available to me in an instant. It is all within my reach, malleable, just waiting for the right… conditioning. You won't believe me, but we've been here before. There is pain inside you, Koji, and like so many others you sought me to sooth it. You wanted me to grant you power and I was going to, but your brother stopped me, do you remember?"

Koji worked his jaw, swallowing the words he so desperately wanted to throw in Tache's face. It continued to smile, causing Ysault's face to look disturbingly pretty, dropping Its black eyes to Koji's neck as Its fingers traced the tendons there.

"It was when Shizuka attempted to retrieve Koichi, when she brought him to me to see what I had already accomplished in this world. You came in after him, but you weren't there to "save" him. Not then. I know your secrets Koji, I know what you want, even if you don't. You were so eager then, so ready to embrace my power and join my army. Why are you resisting now?"

"Go to hell," he growled from between clenched teeth, not moving his lips. Tache let Its head fall to one side and cupped his face, blinking. "Doesn't matter what you do or say, I want nothing to do with you or anything you represent. You cannot turn me against my brother. You _won't_ break me."

"Break you?" It raised its eyes up from his face and, for the first time, Koji became aware of another presence in the room. His gut tightened, pulse quickening, eyes widening when he felt the tip of a needle press to the base of his skull. The headpiece of the chair cranked forward, pressing his chin into his chest even as he did his best to resist. He knew what was coming only this time, he was completely and totally powerless to stop it.

"You're already broken. What I'm doing now… is fixing you."


	42. From Shadows II

Izumi gnawed at the quick of her thumbnail as she watched Koichi, her insides little more than an ocean of unpleasant emotion. The dark twin was at Dorian's computer, bare chest hunched over the keyboard, eyes scanning the screen. He didn't work on it so much as… commune with it. Text moved just past the glass, new files coming up as others disappeared, but not once did Koichi's fingers touch the keyboard or mouse. Not once did he interface with it like a regular human being; even when they'd walked in the thing had just turned on, apparently all by itself. Which was a foolish thought, because she knew it was just responding to Koichi's raw will. But it made her feel better to think of the computer as more of an agent, offering assistance through some kind of magic, rather than face the truth that her friend was now completely beyond her.

Not to be confused with no longer needing her. She and Takuya had to employ a rather thick blanket at a great deal of coordination to get Kouichi up to the computer to begin with, and these new abilities clearly came at a price. His light sensitivity meant he couldn't go outside at all and whatever he was doing had spiked his metabolism. About once an hour he needed to eat, but because he'd struck them with whatever psychic power he now commanded when they'd tried further conversation, it was on them to notice when that was. They were free to leave, to just leave him to his fate, and yet they weren't. Whatever they'd done and whatever he did in retaliation, Koichi needed them. So she and Takuya took it in shifts, one cooking or on a water/food run, the other watching for any additional shaking and sweating. The three had been at this for hours and it was Izumi's turn.

"Hey," Takuya greeted as gently as he could, coming up behind Izumi with a rustle of grocery bags. She jumped anyway, almost falling out of her chair as she turned to identify the intruder. Her gaze softened upon recognition, but little else about her demeanor changed. Takuya hadn't seen her this upset since their final days in the Digital World. The despair in her aura physically hurt him, bringing a frown to his face as he set the bags on the table.

"How's he doing?"

"The same." She paused for a moment, considering, her face tight in thought. Then, nodding to herself, she got up and moved to joint Takuya in the kitchen, glancing back as she closed the door to Dorian's back room. Koichi didn't react to her departure, his eyes remaining fixed on the computer monitor, glowing deceptively as they reflected the nearly negligible light. He was not to be disturbed, that much was clear. Izumi approached Takuya, reaching across her chest to grasp one arm, hugging herself.

"He still hasn't said anything."

"And…" Takuya murmured, pulling various food packages from his haul and placing them in a line on the tabletop. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." She didn't even try to make it sound convincing. Absently, she looked out the window, perhaps longing for the sun, perhaps avoiding further discussion. Takuya's hand rested on a bowl of dehydrated noodles, teeth raking across his lower lip. Silence hung between them.

"I'm sorry," he said after a long moment, swallowing the lump of emotion that accompanied the words. "I wish I could take it all back."

"You were worried about Shinya-"

"That doesn't make it right." He straightened and turned, fierce brown eyes seeking hers, willing her to understand the extent of his remorse. "Yeah, Shinya was in trouble and now he's safe; I'm not sorry about that. What I'm sorry for… is how far it went… and what I did to make that happen."

"Takuya now isn't the time for this."

"Then when? I betrayed us, Zumi, and I can't claim Shinya as an excuse for that. I helped Dorian do whatever it was he wanted to Koichi, I held our friend down and let some psycho hack into his brain. If it wasn't for me Koji would still be here and Koichi would still be Koichi and we would all still be a team!"

"Keep your voice down," she hissed, stepping closer to him and casting a glance back at the door. For a moment she closed her eyes and frowned, sighing heavily. When she finally did look at him, her jade eyes were unreadable. "Takuya, I'm not the one you should apologize to, and if the truth be told, you're not the only one that needs to be sorry. I was there too, remember?"

"You? You're not the one who gave Koichi spiked water or strapped him into that chair."

"And yet my hands are as dirty as yours. I watched you do it. I knew there was something wrong with that water and I _knew_ _better_ than to use that chair, but I let you do it anyway. I didn't try to stop you- hell, I didn't even say anything! So you don't get to take all the responsibility for this, you hear me? And you don't need my forgiveness."

"Izumi..." Takuya moved in closer, gently taking her shoulders and looking into her face. "Maybe we can share the blame, you, me, Dorian, and Tache. But you have enough crap to deal with without believing that you somehow "let" me do anything. I'm a big kid; I make my own bad decisions."

She smiled softly, her whole expression warming. He hadn't alleviated her guilt, and he wasn't going to, but the thought and effort he was putting into it made her feel… loved. Sighing, she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his. Her intention was for the gesture to be sweet and brief, a simple peck of affection. But the moment their skin came into contact something powerful lit up inside her as she felt the release she'd needed for so long press against her restraint… and break through.

Izumi molded her body into his, her hands wrapping around his back and pulling him closer. Takuya responded, his fingers knotting in her hair as he tilted her head back, deepening their kiss. For a moment, the universe collapsed into a single point of burning contact. There was no Tache, no Dorian, no missing Koji. Just two people sharing the only thing that mattered. Then Izumi felt her fingers slip under Takuya's shirt, gliding along his warm skin, and he pulled away.

"I'm sorry," she said instantly, stepping away and blushing in shame. "I don't know-"

"It's fine," Takuya cut her off, reaching out and taking back one of her hands. He gave her his most light-hearted, happy smile in weeks, catching her jade eyes. "I'm not saying no forever, just not right now, okay?"

"Okay," she repeated, nodding and smiling back at him. She really wanted the release of being lost in Takuya's embrace, badly if she was being honest with herself. But objectively speaking, this was not a good time. More importantly, if he wasn't comfortable right now, that was enough of a reason to wait. "Not right now."

Takuya opened his mouth, maybe to add something or change the subject entirely, but his words were drowned out by a startlingly loud bang. Followed by a scream and a crash. The two sprang apart, tripping over each other as they rushed to the back door. Izumi cursed as she gripped the handle, berating herself for leaving Koichi alone. She'd _known_ better. Now whatever tragedy waited past the wood and iron wires, it was her fault. The smell of salt and rot hit them in a wave, forcing the pair to pause and adjust to the nausea rolling inside them. Koichi stood next to the computer, blank expression illuminated by the screen light, a bead of blood glistening in his right ear as he stared at the source of the smell.

She stared back, snarling. Her black hair hung limp and uneven to her shoulders, dripping, her dark skin shimmering with salt water. A wet T-shirt stuck to her, bunched and twisted as if she'd been thrashing not moments before, and her jeans were ripped practically to tatters. Water pooled around her bare feet and the more they looked, the more feral she appeared. Black eyes glinted in the half-light, focusing intently on the Chosen of Darkness as she hunched her back, preparing for something.

"Qu'est-ce que c'est?" Her voice was low and gravelly, her neck snapping loudly as she jerked it to one side. "Dîtes-moi! Vous me gonflez! Qui êtes-vous?"

"Koichi… what is this," Takuya asked, conflicted about how low he should be keeping his voice.

"Someone from the Digital World. Or perhaps the Ocean," he answered dryly, his dark gaze fixed unblinking on the stranger. There was a pause where the two stared, each sizing the other up. "She knows something about Dorian and his deal with Tache."

"La Tache? Et Dorian? Merde." She sighed heavily, straightening but not relaxing. "Vous êtes lui, oui? Choisi d'Obscurité Kimura Koichi."

"You know me." Koichi tilted his head, giving her what could've been an appraising look, though it was difficult to tell. His expression didn't change in the slightest.

"Do you think…" Izumi started, narrowing her eyes and licking her lips. Tentative to make any assertions. "Do you think this is Ysault or Bahar?"

The girl shot her a sideways glance before returning her attention to Koichi. For a second the only thing that moved was the water dripping from her form, rhythmically splashing into the puddle at her feet. Muscles visibly bunched beneath her skin, her body going taught as if in preparation to bolt.

"Merde, que dites-vous? Mon nom est Bahar. Je vais vous montrer mon Digivice. Ne pas paniquer."

She held up one hand, then slowly moved it towards her back pocket. But it never got there. Her already tense body went rigid, her eyes widening as a low, choking sound rumbled in her chest. Snarling, she threw Koichi a dirty look and tried to push past it, but the force held firm. The dark twin blinked at her, advancing, his own breath slow and regular. A droplet of blood reached capacity and slid over her upper lip, staining her teeth red-yellow. His face remained perfectly blank as his fingers curled around her throat.

"Koichi! You're hurting her!"

"Don't try and stop me. I need to know what she knows."

"Not like this man. This isn't you, it's Tache! You have to fight it! For Koji's sake!"

"Koji's not here," he said mildly, never removing his gaze from the dark girl. "And you are in no position to judge; we all know what you're willing to do for your brother. Are you ready to see what I'll do for mine?"

Another drip fell from Bahar's nose, rolling down the trail left by the last one onto her lips. She rolled them together, then ran her tongue over the smear, relaxing into Koichi's grip. He could feel her pressing back against his thoughts, not resisting, but guiding, directing him towards a memory that felt sharp and bitter. Strength leached from his fingers, his black eyes meeting hers, suspicious and curious. In the Digital World Koji had railed against him, as had Dorian, but Bahar just stood there. Like she wanted him to find whatever he sought. Like she had nothing to hide. Her hands moved up to his face, cupping around his bleeding ears and drawing him closer, until his bangs brushed her forehead. Together, their eyes closed as they let the thought take shape.


	43. From Shadows III

Bahar pressed her palm into the door, her pulse quickening as apprehension mixed with hesitation in her stomach. This was it. This was the place. Whatever Tache was planning, whatever final goal it had designed, it was beyond this door. As Digidestined it was her duty to destroy that goal. She'd been brought into this world for that purpose and that purpose alone. She'd abandoned her friends, her sense of compassion and warmth, for that purpose. But as a person… Her heart pounded in her ears. The muscles around her chest and throat constricted. Rumors made her afraid. Fear made her still.

Whispers of Tache's movements had always been commonplace, muttered in hushed exchanges or perceived in nightmares of an endless ocean. When the three had traveled together their own bickering too often drowned out the warnings around them. They had been too busy trying to force unity to notice the rest of the world cracking. It was wrong and, more than that, unjust. How could they, the conscripted saviors of an entire world, allow themselves to become so self-centered, they'd put their own friendship ahead of the common good? That had been her reason for leaving.

At least… that's what she'd told herself… When she'd left her friends, when she'd split off from Huckmon, and now. It was for the common good. It had to be.

Licking her lips, Bahar ran her fingers through her unwashed hair to push it from her face, sighed through her nose, and opened the door. Light hit her like a piercing spear, forcing her to wince away and adjust. It wasn't what she'd expected, not black or primal. The walls and machinery were a reflective chrome, the tangled mass of wires a rainbow of primary colors. They lay thick across the floor and hung heavy from the low ceiling, connecting huge cylinders and blue screens. She'd heard Tache was attempting to enter the human world- to spread. But to do so in such a technologically advanced way… And yet it still wasn't the most stunning thing in the room. A young man with coffee brown hair and a white scarf was hunched over one of the monitors, his icy blue gaze intense.

"Dorian? The hell? What are you doing here? What is all this shit?"

Her words ran together as her mind fought wildly to generate a scenario where this made sense. Where he'd beaten her to the punch and was already shutting whatever this was down. Or better still, reworking it to doomsday Tache and get them home. Yet snakes twisted in her stomach all the same.

"Hello Bahar," he responded coolly, not looking at her. "I knew you'd come. Can't say how, but I knew you'd be here for this part."

"What part? Where is here? And better still, where's Ysault? I left her with you; is she safe? Is she here too?"

"Yes and no…"

"What does that mean?!"

Her blood boiled with fear and rage.

"You picked a superb time to start caring is all," he spat, sudden anger igniting his eyes as he finally turned to face her. "What, did you grow a conscience while you were off in the wild? Have a spiritual awakening? What do you care for Ysault?!"

"Dorian, I'm gonna be nice for a moment and chose to ignore that. I left her with you because I thought you had a connection. I thought you would take care of her, but if she's not here then I guess I was wrong to rely on you. What a shocker."

"You don't know how right you are," he snarled, clearly fighting the urge to approach her. She wished he would. Their fight was long overdue. But before he could loose himself his insides froze. Bahar could see it in his eyes, the way he collected his composure.

"You didn't want to play as a team, so you abandoned us. Just say it."

"I did what I had to because you were too busy fawning over Ysault to get anything done. Clearly that was a mistake. So what did you do? Annoy her into leaving?"

"You have no idea what you're talking about; I love Ysault! I would die for her or worse! I tried to tell her that but she didn't want me. Never has and never will. Another thing you an I were both wrong about."

"Dorian, cut it out with the riddles and just tell me what the hell you're going on about."

"We never understood Ysault. She and I didn't have a connection and leaving me alone with her was exactly the wrong thing to do. She's not like us Bahar; she doesn't want anyone or anything. Not like that… But you assumed otherwise and I pushed her and now she's gone."

Bahar's hot blood suddenly turned to ice in her veins. Fear clamped around her chest and her head felt light.

"Gone," she repeated, breath shallow. "What do you mean gone? Just what is that supposed to mean!"

"What Dorian is trying and failing to say is that neither of you ever truly knew Ysault," a high, lyrical voice whispered from somewhere Bahar couldn't see.

But oh god, she knew that voice.

"It was inconceivable to you that such a thing was possible, even as it sat before your eyes. She tried so hard to show you, to be your friend, and still you both pushed her to be something she wasn't. Fretted about the superficial things and managed to ignore her regarding that which mattered. The longer she spent with you, the more like a monster she felt. You tore her apart with your infighting and blindness and sent her broken form right… to me."

Ysault's body emerged from behind one of the silvery tanks, and yet it wasn't Ysault. Her hair was a mess, her clothes were ripped and filthy, and her eyes… A sob tore in Bahar's throat. Her eyes were dull, black, and completely non-reflective.

"No… No this can't be happening… I don't believe it!"

"It does not matter what you believe, facts are facts. Ysault was so desperate to make the pain stop that, in the end, she agreed to become my host. There is no shame in it, she's certainly not the first. Right, Dorian?"

Dorian bit his lip, tucking his chin to his chest and balling his fists. Bahar couldn't care why, not over the cacophony in her brain. Her plan had been to find Tache and seal its host in a hole so deep the filth would never escape. It was still her best option to save the Digital World; a tiny, rational portion of her brain understood that. Yet this was Ysault… she couldn't… She had to, but she couldn't.

"Oh don't fret Bahar, it's not so bad," Tache cooed, moving to Dorian's side and sliding Ysault's arms around his waist. He visibly tensed. "I'll tell you what I told Mr. Broody here: I don't actually want this body. It's not mine and I would gladly return it to Ysault, if she decides she wants it back."

"Then why take it in the first place! Why start a war with everything and set loose the Dark Ocean!" Bahar's voice cracked, her nails digging crescents into her palms. Tache twisted Ysault's mouth into a grin, resting her chin on Dorian's shoulder.

"The Dark Ocean is none of your concern. What you should focus on is finding my original host. Take me into the human world, help me locate and obtain Kimura Koichi, and I shall return your friend to you. Sounds fair, doesn't it?"

"Dorian, you can't possibly be considering this."

"Why not? It's our fault Ysault is trapped like this and it's our responsibility to save her."

"Our responsibility is as Digidestined! We have the filth right here; we can find a way to rip it out of her! We _cannot_ allow it to get into the Human World! We can't leave the Digital World in ruins! We're supposed to stop the Dark Ocean, not help it spread!"

"I don't care about the Dark Ocean," Dorian snapped. "I don't give a rat's ass what happens to the Digital or Human Worlds! Whatever it is it's fated anyway! All I care about is making sure Ysault gets home! That she's safe and happy and I will do _anything_ to make that happen! If you disagree, then I guess we're on different sides."

"Dorian, you son of a bitch, you listen to me!"

"Goodbye Bahar. I'm sorry, but this is the only way. This has to happen. I'll come back for you, though. Ysault and I will do it together. I promise."

"Dorian-" he turned, typed a few characters on the keyboard, and the waves rushed in. Like a wall it hit her, knocking her off her feet and sending her whirling in an abyss of salty blackness. The water was everywhere, yet she didn't drown. It whispered, urging her to surrender, to give in. Its hunger pressed all around her, bringing every ounce of shame, guilt, and pain within her to the surface. Freezing. Choking. The sound of Ysault gasping and sobbing.

And then… then she'd come to the source. A boy just a few years younger than she, his hard façade crumbling as the reality of it all cut into him, sobs of his own aching in his throat. Kimura Koichi. Such a frail thing; hardly the evil she'd expected. He crumpled against her, fingers curling in her shirt as he cried into her shoulder. Slowly, awkwardly, she encircled him with her arms, giving his back what she hoped were reassuring pats. Their connection hurt like the cold, but through it she sensed his pain, his loss, and a familiar iron will. For now he wept. And when the tears passed, their alliance would begin.


	44. Drowning I

Izumi's mind was buzzing. Not the "filled with a million thoughts" type of buzzing. No, it was the sound of silence trying to fill itself. It was the low hum of her trying and failing to process the scene. The pieces were all apparent enough, individually. There was the computer, its light filling the room unevenly. Takuya next to her, slack jawed. A dark skinned girl, late teens, dripping wet and feral. And there was Koichi, hands hanging limply at his sides, head bowed forward, resting his forehead on the girl's shoulder. On its own everything made enough sense to be identifiable, but together the picture just didn't work. What was happening? What had just finished happening? How had they so quickly transitioned from a stranger emerging from the computer and Koichi pinning her to this?

The girl seemed equally befuddled, her black eyes surveying the blank boy with a mixture of compassion and fear. Awkwardly, she tried to embrace him and, when that failed, patted him on the back. Like he had a bad cough… A stray thought crossed Izumi's brain as she wondered how anyone could be so inept. When the pats did nothing to wake him up she let out a long sigh, grabbed Koichi's shoulders, and pushed him back. He looked up at her, and whatever expression was in his bloodstained eyes seemed to give the girl pause. She grasped his chin and forced a smile.

"Hey now, none of that," she said, her voice a soft horn in the stillness. "You need to be focused now, understand?"

"Whoa, wait a second," Takuya snapped, jumping as if reality had literally snuck up and kicked him. "You speak Japanese? Then why didn't you open with that! Who are you? Where the hell did you come from? Why are you- you're freakin' drenched!"

"It's the Digivice," Koichi answered, moving just enough to glance back at the pair. "It's translating for us. Now that it's active. This is Bahar, Chosen of Justice."

"Just Bahar," the girl cut in, palming hair from her face. "Whatever force chose me made a huge mistake, but here I am so I guess they haven't figured that out yet. And I'm soaked because I just came from the Dark Ocean. Your little buddy Dorian didn't have the balls to face me after his betrayal and stashed me there for safe keeping."

"He is _**not our buddy**_ ," spat Izumi, finding her voice.

"Sorry, I just assumed what with you having all his shit."

"Enough," Koichi cut in, his eyes swinging to admonish them. Izumi opened her mouth to retort, thought better of it, and chose to fold her arms instead. Bahar traced her lower lip with the tip of her tongue, giving Izumi a challenging smile.

"We were all betrayed by Dorian, we all want to find him. But he's not important anymore. I need to know… did you… did you see my brother in the Dark Ocean? Was he-"

"No." Her voice was suddenly sharp, her dark eyes clouding. "No, I would've known if another Digidestined was there."

"Okay, time out," said Takuya, stepping forward. "Can someone _please_ just explain what's going on!"

"You haven't told them?" She addressed the question to Koichi, who avoided her gaze fervently, stepping back towards his friends. Letting out a heavy sigh, Bahar rolled her head, cracking her neck loudly. "And neither did Dorian?"

"The Dark Ocean? It's been mentioned," Izumi said curtly.

"Get me a towel. Then we can talk."

"Tell us about the Dark Ocean and we'll get you a towel."

"Or we can do both!" Takuya interjected. "Come on ladies, haven't we had enough fighting?"

Bahar's features, if possible, darkened. She moved towards the door, pausing at Takuya's shoulder to hiss: "I'm not a lady." Then she went into the kitchen, grabbed a dishtowel, and started to dry her dripping hair. "Well, come on. You wanna hear it or not?"

"Was Ysault as rude as you and Dorian?" It was a low blow and Izumi knew it. But her exhaustion had stolen the compassion and tact right out of her. Bahar froze for a moment, as if Izumi had actually cut her.

"No," she whispered, peeling off her shirt and causing them all to blush. Water dripped between her fingers as she rung it over the sink. "No, she was the best of us, the kindest, the gentle one. And we broke her. We couldn't accept her as she was, so when Tache came… she…"

"That's what the Dark Ocean does," Koichi interjected, hanging back in the shadows as the rest of them migrated to the living area. "It takes your uncertainty, your pain, and turns it into shame and rage and hatred."

"Yes," Bahar snapped back into focus. "It's both a dimension and a force within the Digital World. Any evil, any sort of corruption, can be traced back to some kind of contact with the Dark Ocean. It hungers, but it needs a carrier to escape. The first human was a boy named Ichijouji Ken via a device called a Dark Spore in the back of his neck. Then it gained an intelligence when the corruption was stripped from Koichi here. Now it's inside Ysault and able to enter our world. It- Tache, wants to spread, and It's able to do so by consuming anyone it comes into contact with."

"Yeah, that part we know," mumbled Takuya, looking pointedly away from Bahar as she pulled her dry-er shirt back over her head.

"Did you also catch the bit where it doesn't matter how happy you think you are, Tache will eventually find a way into your brain and turn you inside out until you're nothing more than a puppet?"

Silence.

"Not you," Izumi whispered, almost to herself.

"What?"

"It didn't corrupt you," she clarified, her jade eyes swinging up. "You said you were trapped in the Dark Ocean for however long, and you expect us to believe you're still yourself?"

"Fair point," Bahar muttered, crossing her arms and searching the room for a way to answer the accusation.

"It's not inside Bahar. I can feel it; she's free of the taint," Koichi offered, frowning. "But how that is is an excellent question."

"It's not like it never tried," Bahar bit. "I could feel it in my mind every second I was trapped in that hell! Like drowning forever… It tried to tell me I was broken and deformed, that the only way I would ever fit into the world was to burn it all and build a new one. And I was tempted… yet I never stopped being me…"

"How did you stay sane?" Short. Direct.

"Well, for one thing I've put up with that sort of shit before, and I promised myself I'd never get that twisted around ever again. Who I am is good enough for me and that's all I care about." For a moment she looked… it was impossible to describe her exact expression. Strong and fragile, like she'd found power in the vulnerability. Like nothing could break her the way she'd already been broken.

"But it's more than just being… proud. It's… Justice isn't vengeance. It's not just about hurting the ones who harmed you. It's also about having compassion for whatever hurt drove them in the first place. Have I wanted to destroy the world? Sure, but honestly who hasn't. It's a shit hole. And yet… Ysault came from this world and she is _good_. The Ysault I knew was the kindest person, someone who gave more than she had and never complained about receiving nothing in return. But we failed her and she became something I despise. Dorian, for all his backstabbing, loves Ysault and his loyalty to her could very well destroy the world. They both do evil but I _know_ they're not evil. I can't hate them. The Dark Ocean paints things as black and white but they're are complex."

"Soooo, you coped by becoming a philosopher?"

"No-Yes- Look, that's how I used to see things. In absolutes. Darkness was evil and defeating darkness was good. And make no mistake, the Dark Ocean is pure evil. But just because that's easier to believe doesn't make it right. I guess I did get philosophical, and that's what got me through it. Realizing that the bad doesn't drown out the good and the good doesn't diminish the bad. I had to look at myself, at everything the Dark Ocean wanted me to be, and accept that part of me exists. And accept that it doesn't define all of what I am… I had to come to terms with the fact that Ysault, for all her goodness, gave up."

"So, and tell me if I'm getting this right, the way to defeat the Dark Ocean is to accept it?" Izumi rubbed her temples, suddenly feeling very tired.

"While ignoring it at the same time," Takuya added, trying so very hard to sound enthusiastic and informed.

"I wish I could tell you, I seriously do," sighed Bahar. Her eyes met Takuya's with such weight even he felt crushed. "But you don't know me- didn't know me. You can't know how I changed to survive, or how I dug in and refused to change. Hell, neither of you have experienced the Ocean, what it's like to get that messed up, and ideally you never will. He has though."

She jerked her chin in Koichi's direction and he visibly tensed.

"It's coming. You may've been able to fight It, but I don't understand how. I don't know what all that is supposed to mean. I don't even know that I want to stop It."

"Koichi," Izumi breathed, turning to face him. "You don't mean that."

"I do. I don't care about the world any more."

"Then stop trying," Bahar cut in, her voice hardening again. She leaned back against the counter, arms crossed. "The world's too big anyway. No one here is gonna save it. Think about your brother. I know Tache has him; I saw it in your mind just now. Are you giving up on him? Ask yourself: are you so far-gone that you'd let Koji drown?"

"No." It was instantaneous. Koichi inhaled deeply and stepped into the kitchen. He winced away from the light, but Izumi noted it wasn't as bad. It didn't burn him like before. His eyes were blood red, irises so dark they ate the light instead of reflecting it, and yet he still came. He stopped by Takuya, catching both his and Izumi's gaze.

"Not him. It can't have him. It can't have any of us."

"Good," said Bahar, smiling just a little. "Then lets get started."


	45. Drowning II

There was no ocean. Koji knew that. He knew the feel of water up to his knees was all in his head, that the sound of waves wasn't real. And yet the cold sank into his bones all the same. The smell of salt burnt the back of his throat just as the whispers burned his mind. Thousands of voices, or maybe just one, fragments of things he didn't yet understand. But they were getting louder. Colder. God, it was exhausting to fight the cold. The damp. The bitter resentment…

"You're holding out longer than I would've expected," came a voice he'd hated since their first contact. "The first phase is over for most people by now. But you're Minamoto Koji, Chosen of Light! I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised."

"Go to hell," he growled, not bothering to look up. There was the sound of someone sitting in the chair beside him and a moment of silence.

"Believe it or not I've been there. It's called graduate school." The individual known only as Yuki pressed two fingers between the tendons in Koji's wrist, taking his pulse. "I was so trapped before the Dark Ocean. A lot like you are right now. Your fever's breaking, which is good, but that means you're going to dehydrate more quickly. I'll get a drip going."

"If you touch me with one more needle," Koji growled in a low voice. "I will kill you myself."

"Oh I doubt that," said Yuki dismissively, busying himself. "You've never killed before and I don't think you actually have it in you. This is the real world, you know. Here, nothing comes back. You have beautiful veins by the way. Most people I have to feel around a bit, make sure it's springy so I don't stick a tendon. Yours pop right out. Now, this might pinch a little."

Koji tried his best to jerk away, but he was so well strapped to the chair that he barely moved. The needle slid easily into his arm. The waves crashed in his mind, like standing on a boulder as the tide came in.

"Why are you doing this!" He didn't know if he was asking Yuki or the Ocean. Regardless, the words burst from him like a small explosion, a question he hadn't meant to ask at all. Yuki finished his task in silence, face pensive.

"Before… I was miserable. Pathetic. You've heard this part, but I don't think you appreciate how true it is. I was a student studying the electrochemistry of the brain, which is very challenging as you might imagine. There was never enough progress, never publishable results, and the more I tried the less I lived. I was ready to die when the Master, the entity you call Tache, found me. She took the pills from my hand and told me a story that was far too crazy to be true. But when she opened the portals I had to believe."

"I don't actually care," Koji tried to backtrack, snarling in hopes of getting the other man to leave. He needed to be alone if he was going to escape. Yuki smiled, scooting closer.

"You know there's more than one universe. More than one human world and more than one you. I am a scientist in all of them. I saw myself as a doctor, an electrical engineer, a pharmacist, a successful neurobiologist, all the things I wanted to be but wasn't. I was the first to accept her gift, the first to figure out how I could accept it. _I_ discovered the particles, _I_ created the formula to prevent host rejection. And then, once they were inside me, _I gained_ the knowledge of all my counterparts. The signal, the cell phones, the chair that stimulates your brother's potential, even your little hide out, were all designed and built by me. The me from a thousand worlds. The optimal version of myself."

Koji's eyes slid sideways.

"So. What."

"How can you be so obtuse! The Master offers refinement, the chance to become a god among insects, to dominate the world and everything that has ever made you suffer. Those particles that I injected into your brain will give you the power you've always wanted; all you have to do is reach out and take it!"

"I refuse. I don't want to be a part of your little cult and I don't _want_ whatever the hell you're going on about. I'm here to stop you."

"Such brave words out of such ignorance," Yuki snarled. Then he paused, a cruel smile twisting his mouth. "You don't even know what's inside you, do you."

"It doesn't matter."

"Oh but it does. You talk as if you're immune, but you've been a part of our "little cult" ever since you felt the Master's presence. Remember how you froze? Remember how you kneeled? Remember how you submitted?"

Yuki leaned forward, whispering into Koji's ear.

"You came to us. You want our power. The Master's gift has been inside you all this time."

"That's bullshit!" Koji tried to jerk away, causing Yuki to laugh.

"As someone who traveled to a Digital World, a part of you has been altered. Every Digidestined carries particles, bio-inorganic hybrids that allow for the conversion of matter to data. In the metaphor we told Dorian to use, _you_ are the cell towers. _You_ will allow the Dark Ocean to spread. Of course, like anyone you still require treatments, an infusion of the Master's particles, but they will hybridize with your own and become transferable. You will start your own "cults" and engulf the world. Once the Master recombines with her original host, everything will become more potent. Boundaries will fall away and the Ocean will finally spread."

"You're delusional. There's no way! And even if it were true, I will never be a part of it."

"You're very certain for one who already hears my song." They both tensed. Yuki stood, backing away from Koji and bending forward, bowing to the lyrical voice.

"You can go," It said dismissively, coming around to face the Warrior of Light, Its gaze focused. There was the sound of cloth rustling, then a door closing. They were alone. Koji's insides froze as he stared into Its black eyes, tingling in the strangest way.

"Yuki is quite excitable," It said with a smile. "You should've seen him when he discovered the buildup of waste product that turns the eyes dark. Or when he started his project to block out the sun. Having you here is… how would you say it, like Christmas to him. Is that the appropriate phrase?"

Koji wanted to retort, to say something clever and scathing and make It hurt. But his voice was stuck. And his mind was going blanker by the second. Tache widened Ysault's grin, tilting her head like a predator.

"Not so vocal now? That's okay; you don't need to talk. You've done enough, I think. Now it's time to listen. I know why you're fighting me Koji and you know that it's pointless. Let me explain myself a little, hmm? Let me tell you how we want the same thing."

"We are enemies," Koji managed to growl. "I won't let you damn my brother."

"It's not damnation," It sighed, taking up Yuki's seat and leaning on his shoulder. "Don't you understand? I want to save him, just like you. He hurts, Koji. Always he's in agony. As his brother you know this. You hate yourself for not being able to make it stop, but have you ever questioned why it is so to begin with? Have you ever wondered?"

He didn't answer. The world around him was smearing, cement floors glinting like water, tables turning into roots. White, fleshy tendrils that rose up from the water, sacs of inky blackness hanging like dew from their tips. A vast tree, his chair buried in the trunk, his bonds arcs of bark.

"It's because he's incomplete." Tache stood before him, a vaguely human being of black mist. "He yearns to be whole, but fear holds him back. Makes him weak. You want your brother to be strong, yes? You want him to be free?"

"Don't twist this into something it's not. Duskmon is your goal and he was never free. He was just a tool for evil and my brother will _never_ be that again."

"You're absolutely right." The figure waved a hand and the tree expelled Koji's body. He stumbled, trying to gain footing in the knee-deep water. Blue eyes swung up, confused and wary. "Duskmon was Cherubimon's plaything. I hated that. But I am not him. I don't want to be him. I want to be more."

"Stop lying to me! You are what's left of Duskmon! You will turn Koichi back into a monster!"

"See, there's the root of the problem. This discussion isn't about your brother, Koji. We're talking about you. What you want, what you love… and what you fear. I would know, I can smell it on you. You're afraid to loose the one dearest to you, you're afraid things will change and you won't be close anymore. I can tell you all day that is simply not the case, but that doesn't address your true terror. What frightens you above all else: Koichi himself."

"No. You're insane. I don't fear Koichi, he's my twin brother."

"All the name-calling and denial in the world won't change it. Koichi, at his full potential, at the peak of his power, terrifies you. You fear what he could become, what he's destined to become. And yet you claim to love him. Tell me, how can you love someone and call them a monster at the same time? How can you respect someone you think inhuman? You're a hypocrite, Minamoto Koji. That's why you're fighting me, not out of some just sense of honor or duty. Not because you actually think I'm wrong."

Koji's mouth went dry, his heart pounding in his ears, mind buzzing with too many thoughts. This thing, this force, It was trying to get into his head. It wanted him to give in, to stop fighting. Which he couldn't do. But why was getting hazy…

"I'm not afraid of Koichi," he said again, slower this time. "I'm afraid of the things you'll make him do. I'm afraid of the world you'll use him to create."

"You think I'm going to take him away from you, is that what you're trying to say? You're worried things will change but they've already done so. Look me in the face and tell me you don't know that."

"Because of you! Everything's wrong because of you!"

"Nothing is wrong Koji! Your brother is becoming what he was always meant to be. The world is changing as it was designed to, as you always believed it would. What's the phrase: the meek shall inherit the earth? Well, that's what I'm doing. Darkness exists in everyone, but most of all in those who suffer. I _end_ their suffering. I _make_ them powerful. And you would stand there and say that's a bad thing? Truly?"

"If what you've done to these poor bastards is anything like what you're doing to Koichi then you and I have different definitions of suffering. You're not making anyone powerful; near as I can tell you're just enslaving them."

"And how would you know? You've barely tasted what I offer, and you want more. I can tell. You want strength, cunning, decisiveness. That sense of destiny you had in the Digital World. I can give it to you, all of it. So why do you go on? Aren't you tired of pretending otherwise? Is your pride so important that you would sacrifice everything you so desperately desire? Everything you need to keep your brother safe."

"You're right about one thing: I do want to keep Koichi safe. But that's where it ends. For all your posturing you can't change the facts. You can't convince me you've done anything but hurt him since this whole thing started!"

"Just like you, he hurts because he resists. He resists because he does not understand. That's why I brought you here, so you could learn and then explain it to him. There's a part of him inside me, a part that he needs to be whole, and so long as he remains incomplete he will suffer. I've told you before, we want the same thing and that is to end his pain. Please Koji, let me show you how."

He didn't even notice he was backing away until he hit the tree trunk. Cornered. Tache advanced on him, encircling his waist with arms made of ice-cold fog. Koji yelped, grasping Its shoulders and trying to force it away.

"Get off," he yelled. "Get the hell away from me-"

Its mouth covered his, cutting him off and causing him to shudder. Something like a mist was passing over Its lips. It tasted bitter, clogging his throat, choking him. Koji's struggles escalated, his fingers clawing at the dark form wherever they could find a grip as he tried to pull away. Still the mist came, forcing its way into his lungs. He felt it enter his bloodstream, like a wave of ice cold and… relief. The will to keep fighting was being siphoned away and this immense weight he hadn't even realized was there was lifted from his shoulders. Slowly the strength drained from his fingers as he breathed, taking Tache's blackness into his body.

He was tired. Tired of being the first and last line in his brother's defense, tired of swimming upstream, tired of holding back the inevitable. There was a hole inside Koichi; he knew that. Duskmon was a part of him, no matter what they pretended, and eventually that part had to emerge. It was like trying to prevent the tide from coming in and he just couldn't do it anymore. Besides, who was he to make that decision? Koichi was powerful beyond what Koji could comprehend, yet he had limited himself. Because Koji had asked him to he'd given up his identity, his strength, and allowed himself to become weak. But Koji wanted him to be strong. He wanted him to be whole. He _wanted_.

His arms were around Tache's form now, but not in combat like before. Koji held the black form to him, relaxing into its embrace. Allowing his mind to go blissfully blank as he inhaled a whole new understanding of the world. All the while reaffirming his convictions. He was going to save his brother. He was going to save Koichi.


	46. Sink or Learn to Swim I

_The water was cold as ice, so cold it hurt. That was good, at least. He could still feel the cold. The dull ache of the Ocean. It tugged at him, the rising waters pushing and pulling around his waist. And inside, like staring at a plate of food after a long fast. That was less good. He yearned for it, the ache in his gut worse than the one in his flesh. Its hunger was becoming his, its will leaching into his own. In the back of his mind, he wondered how much longer he was going to last. How long before the line between them corroded away and he surrendered? How long before he became the willing vessel it so desperately desired?_

 _A massive tree obscured the horizon, far in the distance but close enough that he could make out its pale roots. There were more of them than he remembered, buried into dozens of necks, sucking the life from too many people. People who didn't feel the cold anymore. Or perhaps that was all they felt, a chill so deep in their bones it drowned out whatever suffering had driven them to this place. None of them were happy or even content. Those emotions simply did not exist here. But, in a pathetic twisted way, they were comfortable. Their cruelest impulses had been rationalized and they no longer needed to be responsible for them. It was absolution, of a sort. Freedom from the desire to be free._

 _Why was he here? For a moment the concept startled him. As if not being here was the stranger circumstance. But then he remembered: this wasn't real. It was a mirage, his mind interpreting another dimension as best it could. He was a visitor- a spectator, and nothing more. He had come to feel, to become like the others, then to reject it. This was a test. Fear congealed in his gut for the first time. Tests could be failed and that was something he couldn't afford. No matter how badly he wanted to surrender he had to hold out. His brother needed him to hold out._

 _As if sensing his sudden surge of emotion the tree came closer, looming over him. Those roots that were not burrowed into a host swung around, traps of black mist hanging from their tips. One approached him, moving like a snake through the water. Bringing the whispers with it. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore them. But still every ounce of evil that had ever crossed his mind was returning. Playing back as if the Ocean had been recording each second of anger and envy and pain he'd ever experienced. The root offered its load, like a cure, and silently, he held out his hands._

 _Blackness engulfed him and suddenly he forgot why he'd come. The Ocean was inside him and there was work to be done. It could not be contained any longer; it had to spread. It would swallow the world. And he was going to help-_

"No no NO! I'm killing it."

Koichi gasped as he was pulled from the vision, fresh blood wetting his ears and nose. Izumi let out a desperate sigh, pulling out an already bloodstained handkerchief and moving to mop him up. Takuya hung back, rubbing gloved hands over his face, exhausted eyes glaring in the computer's general direction. Where Bahar stood, hunched over the keyboard and livid.

"God damn it, how many times have we been over this! Ocean bad. Fighting Ocean good." She accentuated each statement with a hand gesture, as if to put the activities in separate boxes.

"It's not easy," Koichi spat back, squirming a little as Izumi undid his restraints.

"No shit! It's not supposed to be a cakewalk! If it was we wouldn't have a problem."

"Hey, lay off. We've been at this for days," Takuya interjected. "Cut the guy some slack."

"We don't have **time** for slack. You're buddy Koji doesn't have **time** for slack. The only way to save him is to sever the connection the Dark Ocean has to this world and the only way that happens is if Koichi learns to cut himself off from it!"

"Lets take a break," tried Izumi, pulling away from Koichi and glancing around. "Koichi at least could use one."

"I'm-"

"If you say "fine" then so help me… Listen, Takuya's right. We've been trying since Bahar got here. Practically nonstop for 16 hours a day. We're all exhausted, so why don't we all just take ten minutes, blow off a little steam, then we can figure out the next step."

"Fine," Bahar said after a tight moment. "I'm getting some air."

She straightened, her back cracking audibly, and moved to the door. Her gait was stiff but deliberate, frustration souring the mood around her. Yeah, air would be good. For all of them. Izumi winced as the door slammed, shooting Takuya another deflated look.

"Charming individual," he said with an eye roll, bringing a tiny smile to her lips. "You think all the French are this unpleasant?"

"We haven't had the best sampling; I'm sure the rest are perfectly nice."

"Can you two keep it down," snapped Koichi, burrowing his face into his palms.

"Sorry," whispered Takuya, shrinking back at the outburst.

"Do you need anything? Water maybe?"

She meant it to be a soft offer, something to calm his temper and maybe quiet the pain she knew was raging in his head. Instead, the Chosen of Darkness stood up, walked over to the table, and shoved the keyboard to the floor.

"What I need is to get my brother back! This is taking too long! For all we know he's been brainwashed already!"

"Hey man, give yourself a break." Takuya waved his hands through the air in what Izumi could only assume was a calming motion. "We're all doing our best here."

"It's not good enough."

"Koichi, don't you think you'd know if Koji had been… you know," she tried, still keeping her tone hushed. "Wouldn't you… sense him?"

"Here's a thought, why don't _you_ go in there and see if _you_ can "sense" him."

The wires around them surged with a burst of energy that made the hairs on their arms erect. Izumi swallowed her retort, taking a deep breath and licking her lips. Koichi wouldn't meet her eye; his gaze was fixed deliberately on the floor, hands balled into white fists. Takuya looked from one to the other, trying briefly to decide which he feared more. Giving up, he moseyed quietly towards the door.

"I'll just get you some water then," he said absently. Koichi shot him a look that could disembowel. "Okay, right, I'll get me some water."

For a moment the remaining two stood in silence. Izumi was trying to be compassionate, she really was. That was her nature, after all. But the constant strain and bickering and yelling and negativity- she couldn't take it.

"I think I'll join Bahar. I could use some air too."

If Koichi responded in anyway, she didn't catch it. Mirroring the Chosen of Justice almost perfectly, Izumi walked stiffly to the door and slammed it behind her. Outside, Bahar was leaning against the railing overlooking the stairs. Her arms were folded in front of her, supporting her weight, and the afternoon sun seemed to glow on her bare shoulders. Unkept hair hung around her face, but not so much as to obscure her expression. Pensive.

"How's he doing," she asked in a much softer tone than Izumi had heard her use thus far.

"How do you think," she sniped back, crossing her arms and leaning her back against the wall. Bahar snorted, smiling a little, mirthless smile.

"Fair point."

"Is there really nothing you can do?" It came out significantly harsher than she'd intended, but Izumi was much too tired to feel any shame. Bahar threw an indecipherable look over her shoulder, her black eyes startling in the golden sun.

"What, since I spent some time in the Dark Ocean suddenly I'm the expert?"

"From where I'm standing, yes."

"Phenomenal," she sighed, snorting. "Fine, to answer your question, no, there's nothing I can do. I've imparted all my wisdom and now it's up to him. He can either accept his demons or not. There's nothing in between."

"Surely it's not that simple."

"Simple? How do you figure? You got some insight you wanna share with the group?"

"What? No-I-"

"Wait, now I'm curious." Bahar turned, bringing up a hand to pick at a spot on her chin. Izumi swallowed, suddenly feeling more uncomfortable than frustrated. "What do you know about accepting demons? No offence, but you don't strike me as the type to really have any."

"No offence," she said with a scornful laugh. "But you don't know the first thing about me."

"Pretty blond, smart, boyfriend, I've met the type."

"When I first got here I was a pariah, people would barely talk to me. And don't think for a second I didn't hate them for it."

"And now?"

"Now what?!"

"Do you hate them?"

"Sometimes…" Izumi pursed her lips, rubbing her upper arms as if chilled. "But I try not to. People are petty."

"If you hate them for something as stupid as ignoring you doesn't that make you the petty one? Wait, sorry. Here's where I'm going: I want to know if you still accept yourself, even with your less pleasant… aspects."

"What has that got to do with anything?"

"That's the trick. The Dark Ocean can't tell you you're broken if you already know it. It can't use your pain against you if you're already dealing with it. Just like in the Digital World, you have to realize these things about yourself to become stronger."

"Is that so," Izumi whispered softly. Her green eyes were downcast, shining, but sad was the wrong word. "Do you want to know something ironic? Before the Digital World, before I met everyone, I was afraid of the wind."

Bahar let out a short laugh, tearing into a cuticle with her teeth. A line of bright red emerged, vibrant against her skin, causing Izumi to wince. She noticed and dropped her hands to her side, giving an apologetic grin.

"Sorry. So, umm, can I ask why?"

"Have you ever heard of the Mistral? It's a powerful wind that blows over the Mediterranean. In the spring it would absolutely howl past our house, slamming windows, screaming through any crack. It was so strong it could knock you over and I was terrified of it. It wasn't until the Digital World that I realized that's just how the wind is."

"Terrifying?"

"Powerful. It's a force of nature after all. It does what it does without morality or regret. If it rips a door from its hinges there's no reason; it doesn't _mean_ to be frightening. I know sometimes I can get that way. I like to think of myself as kind and gentle, but the Mistral is inside me. As a person… I _am_ responsible for my actions and their consequences. When I accepted the Spirits of Wind, I realized how ridiculous it is to fear something that's a part of you. Be aware of it, yes. Use it for the greater good rather than to hurt people, of course. But never fear it."

"Did you catch all that?"

Izumi jumped, cursing herself for not noticing Bahar's gaze drift. Just to her right, Koichi was standing in the doorway. His fingers rested lightly on the frame, navy eyes rimmed with red, staring at her. She flushed under the attention, standing up straight and holding herself a little more tightly. Koichi's gaze flicked to Bahar, who was smirking as if somehow triumphant, then settled back on Izumi.

"Do you…" he tried, his voice barely more than a breath. "Do you ever just want the power gone? Do you wish that part of you with the potential to hurt people just… didn't exist?"

"No." She blinked, a little surprised at how certain she sounded. Yet as soon as the word left her lips she knew it was absolutely true. Her jade eyes locked with Koichi's and for a moment the two just stared at each other. "It's a part of me. It's part of who I am and I wouldn't change that."

Koichi's eyes closed for a moment, tears he'd been holding back glistening on his lashes. But they didn't fall. Bahar stared at him, pensive once more, her black gaze hard. When he came back to the world it was with a determination that buzzed through the air. His eyes locked with Bahar's and, slowly, he nodded.


	47. Sink or Learn to Swim II

Koji's head hung limply forward, his breath slow and regular. Most of the straps across his body had been undone, leaving only the leather around his wrists and ankles to bind him. Not that he intended to go anywhere. His mind was swimming, bobbing in an endless expanse of cold, black water. It had been eons since he'd stopped imagining otherwise, and an eternity since he'd stopped caring. Actually, just now, he found it really hard to care about anything. For the hundredth time he sank beneath the waves.

"Koji? Koji, can you hear me? Merde, Koji!"

Lethargically, he lifted his eyes, struggling to focus matted pupils on the speaker. Dorian's face visibly tightened as he took in their dull grey hue, his tongue running over his front teeth as he tried to process what had happened.

"Damn it," he whispered. "Damn it! What have they done to you?"

"Don't act like you don't know," spat Koji, a flame of anger lashing out against the cold apathy.

"I didn't think they'd actually do it," Dorian shot back, defensive. "Not so soon… I never would've brought you here if I thought they'd… Damn…"

"Like you give a shit. Anything for your girlfriend, right?"

"Ysault is trapped because of me, because I pushed her past the breaking point. What happened to her is my responsibility. You should understand that, especially now. How long ago did they inject you? If we move fast we can probably get you out of range. Give you some time to just flush them out before your body-"

"What makes you think I even want to go anywhere!" He had the presence of mind to keep his voice down; still, the words came out with the force of a scream. Koji lurched forward, tugging against his restraints. "Least of all with you. Traitor."

"Yes, I betrayed you. I sold you out to get closer to my own objectives; I will admit that. But this isn't the time. Let me get you out of here, then I will explain myself."

"There's nothing to explain. You bastard, you played us from the start. You don't care about me or my brother or anything except getting Ysault's body back. As if she'd forgive you."

"I'm not asking for forgiveness! I am asking for the chance to make it right! I never meant for it to go this far."

"Whatever. It doesn't matter."

"I got my instructions and information from Tache, yes. But I wasn't just playing my part, I was also trying to prepare you- prepare Koichi. That first night I wasn't supposed to intervene but I did. I gave him the advice I wished I'd gotten. I thought he'd be stronger alone, but when he decided otherwise I did nothing. He was vulnerable, I could've isolated him. I could've made sure his first encounter with the Dark Ocean would be his last, but instead I used the PCP so the connection would only be temporary. There was so much damage I could've done, so much I _wanted_ to do…

"Can't you see I've been drawing this out, giving your brother time to adjust at every step? Everything- Tache wants your brother exposed but Koichi had to become stronger. If the Ocean had hit him all at once he would've been overwhelmed, just like they all are, but, I thought, if he experienced it in small doses-"

"Stop trying to justify yourself and just be honest for once. All you care about is getting Ysault back."

" _Of course_ I want Ysault back! But there's more to it! Koichi _has_ to face the Ocean. The only way he can overcome this mess is to take it head on. There was never any avoiding this, so I did what I had to do."

"Is that how you sleep at night? You still let it happen, nothing changes that. You hate Koichi and want to see him fail, always have."

"At first. I hated him for what he'd done- for what he represented. I admit it. I wanted him to suffer and he has. Now I just want it to end."

"Oh it's going to end alright. Tache will take over Koichi and then the Ocean will take over everything. Anything else is a lie."

"No. No I believe in your brother. I believe he _can_ overcome his demons and set things right. That's the truth," Dorian said, squatting down to undo Koji's restraints. His fingers worked quickly, his gaze focused intently on the task. "Especially now."

"The hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Bahar. When Tache and I left the Digital World we… left her behind. She wouldn't give into the taint so Tache wanted her out of the way. But I set up my equipment to bring her to this world as soon as I left, when someone not me worked the computer. I _know_ she's here. You'll have to get in line behind her if you still want to kill me, but if there's someone who can teach your brother how to defeat the Ocean, it's Bahar."

"Wow, you're something else. If she's so wonderful why wait? Why make Koichi wait?"

"Because… I promised Ysault I would bring her back. I have to focus on that first. But Bahar cares more about the world. You're all better than me like that."

"I'm not."

Dorian froze as the last strap fell, fully releasing Koji. Without hesitation the Chosen of Light drove his fist into Loyalty's gut, sending him stumbling back. He choked, falling to his knees and hunching over as if sick. Koji advanced on him, smiling just a little as the undeniable black of his eyes ate the light. Wordlessly, he spun around, delivering another painful blow as his heel collided with Doran's rib cage. A scream tore through the air, causing Koji's grin to widen.

"You have no idea how good it felt to do that," he said casually, as if the topic had turned to weather. "You have no idea how freeing it is to just give up and be what you are. To finally understand."

"Koji," Dorian gasped, all but groveling before him. "What are you-"

"Quiet! You don't get to talk anymore. Everything that comes out of you is a lie and I'm done listening. I actually wanted you to be real. I disliked you right off the bat and still I wanted to believe you could somehow help. The big irony is you did. It sickens me to think that you're the reason I finally opened my eyes and saw the world for what it is."

"That's the Ocean, don't let it control you! Get away from here! Go back to your brother!"

"I'm not going anywhere until I'm ready. Then I will go find Koichi. You were right about one thing: he does need to get stronger. Not the way you were thinking though. He doesn't need to fight the Ocean he needs to embrace it! Koichi's the only one who can truly open the world by becoming what he's destined to be. Only then will his suffering be over."

"The Ocean doesn't end suffering," Dorian hissed, staring up at Koji through disheveled hair. "It breeds it."

"What would you know. Your plan involved my brother trying to hold back an inevitable storm. I understand now how much that hurts him… I never imagined what he must've endured. What it took for him to find me… He's the strongest person I know, stronger than I am. He'll fight it."

Koji gasped, one hand reaching up to cradle his head. Needles made of ice were being driven through his eyes and into his brain. Inside his mind the waves swelled, forcing salt water up his nose and into his lungs. For one brief, terrifying moment he saw himself standing knee deep in cold water. Roots twisted around his body and… no… there was one burrowed into the back of his neck. He squirmed, trying to pull away from it, trying to free his hands and tear it out, but the roots held fast. Black mist evaporated from their surface, encasing him and a cloud of pitch. A cloud he couldn't avoid.

His hand dropped and his gaze locked with Dorian's. Chasm black against icy blue. He watched as hope died in those cold eyes.

"He'll fight it," he repeated in a flat tone. "But he'll loose. The Ocean is inevitable and it will swallow this world. Doesn't matter how much I hate it, I have to thank you. Because you're a spineless worm, because you betrayed us, I can now help Koichi through the transition. I'll help him understand. I will bring him to Tache and make sure he finally covers the world in Darkness. All thanks to you."


	48. Sink or Learn to Swim III

_Ysault opened her eyes for the first time in an eternity. It took almost as long for her to recall why she'd done so. Why? What had driven her to once again become aware of the painful cold and biting damp? For so long she'd slept, not content but not hurting either. Perhaps like being dead. She'd felt nothing. Why stop now?_

 _Her chocolate eyes scanned lethargically, trying to locate the source of her sudden revival. The Ocean was vast and black, stretching in all directions to a grey horizon. That was different. She'd thought for sure there had been a lighthouse on the beach. There had been a beach, made of small stones instead of sand, with cliffs ending any hope of escape before it could start. Ysault was sure there had been a lighthouse; its circling beam had certainly haunted her dreams long enough for her to know. Since just after the Poyomon, growing closer and closer as her friends pushed her further and further into isolation._

 _They hadn't meant to; really, she understood that. She didn't blame them, not in the last corner of her waterlogged heart. Still… they did it. Dorian watched her every move, treated her like something made of glass and gold, something to be worshiped rather than respected. He'd looked at her with a desire she couldn't return, staring and not seeing. Never listening._

 _And Bahar had left. One day there and gone the next. She hadn't the patience for Dorian or the time for Ysault. Of course she had been happy to unburden her soul to the "Chosen of Charity," and yet when the time came for her to return the gesture she'd been gone. Between the two of them fighting there was simply no room for Ysault and when they split apart she'd died in the void._

 _The worst part was… they thought they were helping. Honestly believed they were protecting her by making her feel broken and alone. Like a singular, deformed entity that should never have existed. Like something that couldn't exist at all. But she did exist and she couldn't change that. She couldn't change what she was. She couldn't lie and pretend she didn't want them all to just be friends._

 _How desperately she wanted to just be! Wasn't it enough to be kind and gentle and compassionate? Couldn't a person expect to share burdens with friends rather than taking them all on alone? Why did everything always come back to the one thing she didn't feel? There was so much else to her! How could it be this one perceived deficiency had become her definition? Their team had been so wonderful and then so terrible. Broken. Bitter. Guilty. The beach had expanded beneath her feet, the tide sneaking in and before she knew it the waves were lapping at her. And there was no denying it._

 _How long ago had that been? When had this tree grown up around her? When had her emotions, once so enflamed, gone cold? Ysault lifted her head, blinking at the bark that encased her, burying her arms and legs and waist in wood. This growth had taken a long time… When had all the others arrived? All around her there were people wrapped in pale roots. Parasitic growths burrowed into their necks. Black mist encased in fungal like nodules. With an echo of horror, Ysault realized she was at the center of it all. How had this happened? True, she'd yearned for a release and accepted the price, but she hadn't wanted this._

 _Why was she awake now?_

 _As if to answer the question, a light flickered just in front of her. Right at the base of the tree. Her gaze traveled to it, expecting the lighthouse from her memory. Instead she found only a boy, a little younger than her, with long dark hair tied back and navy eyes. He looked back at her, hard, defiant, and once again the air around him repelled the darkness. Something clicked in her mind and Ysault knew him. This was Koji, Chosen of Light. He was Digidestined, like her, and like her he'd fallen. Yet he was fighting it, pushing back against the Ocean, trying to back out of an unbreakable deal._

 _He wouldn't succeed. The Ocean offers a contract with no fine print, and yet after signing all the corrupted conditions you never agreed to still apply. Before she'd fallen asleep she'd fought too, raging against the cold with a regret that only fueled its power. It never made a difference. Her body was a host and nothing more. Her mind was a troublesome thing that didn't know it was dead. How long since she accepted that? When had she yielded and become nothing but a vessel?_

 _Koji was still new, though. He still resisted, pulling against the roots and snarling at the bleak world. All in vain. The roots tightened, secreting their poison into the air. There was no choice but to breathe it, no other option than to accept subjugation. The sooner he stopped fighting the sooner his pain would end. All would fade into nothing._

 _Slowly he did stop. His eyes became a matted black and his muscles slackened. The roots held fast, supporting his body as the cold drained his will. There was never a chance for him- for any of them. Only the hopeless come here, those in more pain than reality could accommodate. It wasn't nice here, but it was better. Ysault believed it was better. No more struggle, no more reality, no more self. Just the Ocean spreading outwards into a never-ending horizon. Still, as she watched the light fade again and go dark, Ysault felt sad._


	49. Reddition I

_The cold was unbearable. His body had gone numb what felt like hours ago, absent except for the all-consuming ache that permeated every nerve. It was inside his mind too, like he'd never feel again. Not just never be happy again, never be anything again. He didn't care enough to move or to fight or even be sad about the memory of sadness. That's all they were anymore, memories. Echoes of rage and hate… of overwhelming pain and the desperation for it all to just end. Rather like sounds eaten by the water, drowned out by the waves as they broke against him._

 _Once he'd believed this was better than the uncertainty. A situation preferable to the agony of emotion. The Ocean had promised to take it all away, to replace the pain with power. It had said this would help. Yet there was no power here, no newfound insight or strength. There was certainty, true, as cold and undeniable as the water. He knew the awfulness of himself, remembered the shame of his failure as a person. He remembered wanting that personhood gone, needing the release of not existing anymore._

 _But now that he didn't exist the memory of it tormented him. A powerlessness so much more intense than being alive consumed him. And the worst part was there was still a him to be consumed. The Ocean had eaten his soul but left his mind to wander through regret. For how long? Eternity? How had he let this happen? Outside his body moved and spoke, channeling the taint of the Ocean. There were elements of his will, true. The need to see his brother again burned inside him, the only thing immune to the cold. It motivated his actions, drove him to comply, because that was the only option left. If he wanted to see Koichi again, he had to go get him. And bring him here._

 _All around him the Ocean shared his desire. Koichi was important to it, the thing it needed to truly enter the Human World. And the Digital World. And the other universes Dorian had spoke of. So every life could belong to the Ocean. So it alone could exist. Whether this was good or bad was beyond him. He had no opinions left. Yet he wondered: why Koichi? Why did his brother have to be the one? Fate maybe? Had he been chosen to destroy everything? If so, by what force? Or was it just dumb luck, the combination of random events that lead to his death and resurrection? Was he just a convenient host?_

 _It hurt to think about, like ice inside his skull. Every time he thought of his brother the pain came too. The message was clear, but he couldn't stop. He wanted to see his brother, which the Ocean used to drive the actions of his body. It couldn't understand that that same connection was keeping him awake, conscious but out of control. The others slept; they wouldn't remember any of it once the crisis passed. No… that wasn't right because the crisis would never pass. This tide would never go out and none of them would think or feel anything again._

 _Paradox after paradox swirled in his thoughts as fleshy white roots twisted and encased him. Slowly. First his arms, immobilized slightly away from his body. Then his legs, anchored by tendrils coiled around his calves up to the knee. Now, as he began to remember how to focus, one encircled his chest. Squeezing. A tiny gasp passed over his lips and for a moment he thought he could see his brother. His drenched form stood far off on the horizon, expression too obscured by the sea spray to read. Tentatively, he took a step towards the tree. Towards oblivion._

 _Something inside Koji broke free and he was conscious._

 _"Koichi no!" The scream tore his throat, horribly painful yet necessary. "Get away! Don't come any closer!"_

 _The root at his neck came alive, burrowing deeper into his skin. He felt it, cold and mushy, pushing down his spine and spreading up and along his throat. Choking him. A finger punctured into the hole at the base of his skull and Koji wasn't Koji anymore. He stopped existing again. He just… felt nothing._

"Still fighting I see," Ysault's lyrical voice caught his attention, bringing a shell of his former self back into focus. It stood before him, smiling a little, cold smile. One hand reached up to brush hair from his brow affectionately while the other grasped his chin. Forcing their eyes to meet.

"It's difficult," Koji confessed after a long moment, his face devoid of any expression.

"Koichi fought too; I would expect nothing less from his brother. You're both strong, which is what the Ocean needs. It's why I sought you out. We need that strength, especially now. We'll need it to persuade Koichi to rejoin us."

"He won't give up easily."

"No, and he won't surrender to just anyone. That's why you're going to get him and bring him to me. Once we're together nothing will be able to stop his rebirth."

"They know I'm here, though. What if he doesn't trust me anymore? What if he-"

"Shhh," It soothed, stroking his cheek with Ysault's fingers. "He's just lost. I've helped you understand that and I can help him reclaim his destiny. Together we'll make him whole."

"I know that," said Koji, still staring straight into Tache's eyes. He couldn't have looked away even if he'd wanted to. "But I don't think he'll come for me. He's too smart. He knows the Ocean's pull and he doesn't understand yet."

"Oh don't be silly, of course he'll come. Your brother loves you which makes you his weakness. We just need to make sure he knows where to find us."

"No..."

"Koji, you're fighting again."

A spray of icy water washed over his body, erecting goose bumps all along his flesh. He shivered, taking an instinctive step away from Tache. His hands pressed over aching eyes, his breath shallow. Tache advanced, coming around behind him and tracing a pattern into his back. Then It's fingers moved to the back of his neck, where the needle had pierced him, and everything faded. He straightened.

"Koji," called another voice, the usually smooth tenor marred by urgency. "You can still stop this! Run, now! Get out of range!"

"Oh Dorian, you just can't stand it can you?" Tache let out a mirthless laugh, fingers grasping possessively at Koji's throat. "What did you think was going to happen? Did you think there was an individual who could resist the Ocean's pull? Did you think you could scheme your way out of the inevitable?"

"You're a monster and I was blind to trust you!"

His bright blue eyes moved to Tache and he snarled, tugging against the restraints that held him bound to a post off to their right. In a final act of cruelty, they'd used his own treasured scarf to tie him there, forcing him to watch his own work unfold. Koji looked over at him, though it was impossible to say what intention rested in his black, lifeless gaze. Tache laughed again, pleased by the arrangement.

"Come now, what promise have I broken? I told you once I got my original host back I would leave Ysault's body and I will."

"But you won't let her go. You won't let any of them go."

"Maybe we don't want to go," said Koji in a low monotone. "Did you ever think of that? Ysault's better off as she is."

"That's the Ocean talking; whenever any of you opens your mouth all that comes out is the Ocean! Come on Koji, I know you're still there! Do you really want this for your brother?"

"Of course he does. Don't you, Koji?"

"Yes."

"See? Koji may still be learning but deep down he understands. I truly thought you did too. When you first found me I thought this body had broken you and you didn't need any more convincing. That's certainly what your actions said."

"You disgust me. You always have. Ever since we first met I've known what you are and everything I've done has been to stop you."

"Really? So when you were helping me enter the Real World, when you found Yuki for me, when you infiltrated these Digidestined and primed Koichi for my arrival, that was all stopping me? It's adorable how noble you think you are."

"You're wrong. I don't think I'm noble; I know what I've done. I thought if I stayed with you then I could minimize the damage. I wanted to believe that if I couldn't defeat you in the Digital World, maybe I could do it here."

"You can't defeat the Ocean," Koji hissed, a little resentment working its way into his tone. "It's a force like gravity. You can't just wish it away."

"Koji, listen to me: it can still be contained. Go back to your friends, _please_. Bahar is with them now and she can help you. She'll know what to do. She always succeeds where I've failed."

"Your Chosen of Justice can do nothing against the coming tide. None of you can. Maybe I should make you understand that, hmm? Maybe that's what I should've done to begin with? What do you say, Dorian, Chosen of Loyalty, would you like to make a new deal? I'll leave Ysault, just as you've asked. All you have to do is become my new body."

Dorian froze, his breath catching and his body going rigid. For the first time, fear worked its way onto his face, the conflict within him painfully obvious. Tache released Koji and moved to his side, squatting so It could look directly into those icy blue eyes.

"I could use a new host, you know. This flesh is rotting all around me. The longer I stay here the worse it gets. You want Ysault to be able to use her body when this is all over, right? Let me in and she can go free."

"You're lying," Dorian whispered, voice trembling. "You're lying!"

"Do you really want to take that chance? And here I thought you cared for this girl."

Dorian closed his eyes and looked away, swallowing. The conundrum was palpable, the choice he'd so long dreaded suddenly before him. Stay conscious and sacrifice Ysault in a vain attempt to save her, or give in and forget that she needed saving.

"All right," he sighed, defeated. "All right. Yes, I agree."

Tache took Ysault's hands and cupped his face. Slowly, brought it to It's own, breathing across his lips. Her thumbs traced his cheekbones, her hair brushed his nose, and Dorian froze inside. He leaned forward, long repressed desire bubbling to the surface. Then he remembered himself, remembered who Yasualt was. He pulled back, refusing to look at It.

"Don't make her do that," he spat. "She doesn't want to, she never has and never will. Don't use her like that."

"You're no fun," Tache cooed, running fingers along his scalp. "On second thought. I've changed my mind. I like this body too well to give it up. Besides, Ysault is too far-gone."

Dorian's gaze snapped into focus and he stared at It, absolute horror etched into his features. Another cold laugh. Tache stood up and went back to Koji's side, draping one arm over his shoulder and the other across his chest, linking Its fingers in a possessive embrace.

"Oh, you didn't know that? Ysault can't leave the Ocean anymore, not even to return to her body. She's been there too long; her mind is a part of the water now. There really is no hope. Besides, even if she could return, she wouldn't want to. Why come back to a world that denies your very existence? If you can't be real, why not do it without all the pain?"

"Ysault has friends here who miss her and people who… who love her."

"You think that matters? After all this time with me you still think like a child. Honestly, do you believe friendship will save the day?"

"Friends are just another weakness," said Koji in a low voice, staring at Dorian. "Just another flaw the Ocean smoothes away…"

He paused, frowning a little as his eyes slid to the floor. Like he was having a thought he didn't quite want to accept. Tache rested its head on his shoulder, watching his expression critically. When he didn't continue it pulled away, coming around to face him head on.

"Koji," Tache demanded, all humor gone from its voice. "What are you thinking?"

"Their friendship," he said slowly. "Koichi won't come for me, he knows what's waiting, but my friends… They can be persuaded. They can bring him for me."

Brushing by Tache, Koji advanced on Dorian, causing the older Digidestined to squirm. He lashed out with his feet, trying to keep the tainted Chosen of Light at bay, but Koji was too agile for him. He sidestepped his legs, getting in right next to him. Wordlessly, he slid a hand into Doran's pocket, rummaging around until he found the target. A simple flip phone. Koji withdrew it, his gaze locking with Dorian's for a short, horrible second.

"Stop it Koji! Give that back!"

But his pleas were in vain. Koji stepped back to Tache's side, dialing in one of the few numbers he knew by heart and pressing the phone up to his ear. The entire room could hear the rings. They went on for an eternity, and yet not long enough. Until the muffled sounds of another voice finally answered

"Takuya," Koji exclaimed, suddenly breathless. "Damn it, I've been trying to reach you… Yeah, I'm okay… Yes it's me! Listen, I managed to get away but they drugged me or something. I'm hidden for now… Yeah, but I can hear them outside. They're looking for me… Never mind that, I need you to bring Koichi… Because when the injected me with whatever the hell it was they said only he could get it out! I figured they'd use me as bait and… Takuya, this is me. I know how dangerous it is. I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't desperate… Because I can't move! I've tried and I can't… Is he there? Can I- Shit! They're coming. I have to move. I'll get as close to the edge of the warehouse district as I can and watch for you. Did you hear me Takuya? Takuya- Ahg!"

Koji recoiled from the cell phone as a loud, static sound began to blare from the earpiece. For a moment they all just stared at it, bewildered. All except Tache. It was smiling, a sick shadow of Ysault's playful grin. Gleefully, It giggled into the static, a high, manic sound like glass breaking.

"He's gotten so strong," It laughed, coming up and taking the phone from Koji's hand. Closing Its eyes, It pressed the mouthpiece to Its lips. "Koichi, come back to me. Come back and we'll finally cover the world in darkness."


	50. Reddition II

"I'm not saying I don't think you can do it! I'm just pointing out that you're in no shape to take Tache on!"

"I don't recall asking for your permission, Takuya." He said the name like a swear, causing the Warrior of Flame to wilt just a little. Koichi didn't notice.

"Come on buddy, it's not like you need my permission or even my approval for anything. And I get that you don't trust me. But you're still my friend and I'm worried! Can't you at least take a nap or something?"

"Nap? Are you serious right now," Bahar chided, folding her arms and leaning against the wall. Her black eyes caught Takuya's, hard and unyielding. Izumi moved between them, going to his side and interlacing their fingers.

"Takuya," she tried.

"Come on! How am I the only one who thinks storming the warehouse district right now is a terrible idea!"

"I have to stop Tache. I finally understand how."

"You can't do that if you're passed out! Look, Tache took my little brother too; I want that _thing_ gone. But if I learned anything in the Digital World it's that you have to be ready for these sorts of fights!"

"I am ready."

"As much as I hate to agree with Mr. Moron over there, he's right about this one. So you've had a revelation, yay for you. You still can't go off half-cocked and expect everything to just work out. Get back in the chair and we'll try the kitty version again."

"No," Koichi said defiantly, turning to face them all head on. "I'm done with that thing, it's gotten us nowhere. This only ends one way and I'd rather get it over with."

"Koichi, will you take a moment and breathe," Izumi cut in. "You need to process this. It takes longer than five minutes to accept your… demons. Believe me."

"It's not the demons that I have to accept," he whispered, pressing his fingers into the tabletop. "It's the person."

"Koichi-"

"I don't have time to process! Don't you understand? We're-"

He stopped suddenly, pupils dilating. Everything around him seemed to freeze and in the stillness there was a knocking sound, a low, hollow crack that only he could hear. Once, then again, repeating at a slow but regular interval. God, when would it be over! His eyes shifted sideways, towards the window to his right. To the place where a shadowy hand was tapping the glass. Shivers shot down his arms as a fist clenched around his heart. It wasn't real. He _knew_ it wasn't real. This was just another trick the Ocean was playing in his mind. The hand was not there. And still it was.

Koichi was aware of the silence in the room, of the others watching him cautiously. In the back of his mind he was thankful for their eyes; they would keep him from doing anything too stupid. Wordlessly, he moved over to the windowsill, gripping it between the solar panels. As if sensing his approach the hand stopped. It spread its fingers and pressed a palm to the glass. Black gel collected at the intersection, dripping back down its wrist to an out of sight elbow. Running in beads towards Koichi's skin. Again, he shivered, nausea forcing him to look away.

"Koichi…" Izumi tried, coming up behind him. "Are you-"

"Don't touch me," he warned, closing his eyes as willing himself to stay above the sound of water.

"It's here, isn't It," Bahar said in a flat tone.

"Yes."

"Think you can handle It?"

"I have to." Koichi swallowed hard, forcing his fists to uncurl and instead grab onto the chicken mesh.

"Whoa buddy, you think that's a good idea?"

"I'm letting it in. We need to know what it wants." He threw a glance over his shoulder, trying his best to look reassuring. Takuya and Izumi looked even more concerned. Bahar was battle-tight and unimpressed. Slowly, he pulled the iron away from the window, opening a hole in the Faraday Cage. Cell traffic hit him like a wave of heat even as the Ocean's cold blew past him.

 _It's alright,_ he thought, closing his eyes for a moment. _Just be angry, be powerless, be afraid. It's not weakness; it's human. Just let yourself be a human._

The hand phased through the glass, causing Koichi to start. It made a move to grab him, but disintegrated mid thrust, collapsing into a stream of black-grey goo. He remembered this substance and it made his stomach knot. That last day of school. Shizuka in the back alley. Harbinger of the Ocean's offer. The gel oozed down the wall and collected on the floor, black mist surrounding it like an odor. Instinctively Koichi took a step back, but this time it flowed right past him. With an alarming intensity it moved towards his friends, coalescing into something terrible just behind Takuya.

His heart stopped and what little color remained in Koichi's face drained. Water flooded the room, knee deep and ice cold, and in that water a figure stood. He was drenched. Salt water dripped from his hair, his chin… his fingertips. Red rimmed his wide blue eyes. Their mother's eyes. Takuya's phone buzzed in his pocket, causing them all to jump. Cautiously, he pulled it out and then, equally cautious, answered.

"Hello… Koji? Koji is that you... You're what?! Man, are you okay…"

All around him the waves pushed and pulled, causing his exhausted form to waver. Koichi wanted to go to him, to grab him and pull him from the water. But he couldn't. He was frozen to the spot, trapped in a vision only he could see. Koji shivered and the movement was mirrored in his twin's body. His breath hung in a cloud of mist before him.

"Where have you been? What did they do to you? What's-… Koichi? You sure that's a good idea? Why do you need him…"

Behind him the tree loomed, black and massive and hungry. Koichi could see its pale roots, its prey cocooned in white flesh. He tried to yell, to tell Koji to run, but his voice was stuck and only a little choking sound managed to escape. The roots seemed to laugh at him, coming up on his brother, their inky offerings hanging from greedy tips.

"Koji, I don't know buddy. This is really sketchy. How do we know you're still, you know… But why do you need Koichi to come to you…"

They were too close! Koji had to sense them, had to know what was lurking just over his shoulder, yet he did nothing. He just stared at his twin, expressionless. With a sick, slithering terror, Koichi watched the mist turn black all around him. Passing over his lips, emanating from his body like a physical dark cloud. And his eyes… oh god his eyes.

"No… No this can't be happening. I don't believe it. He can't be…"

Takuya paused, giving the dark twin a very nervous, concerned look. "Hey, you doing okay Koichi?"

A cry tore his throat as one of the roots burrowed into the back of Koji's neck.

"No! You can't have him! I won't let you!"

Koji was saying something about moving to the edge of the warehouse district, but Takuya barely registered. The dark twin was doubled over, his hands pressed against his scalp, unabashedly screaming. Static burst in Takuya's ear, making Koji even harder to understand, and the lights flickered all around them.

Koichi was spouting nonsense now, sending uncontrolled pulses of energy through the room. The computer in the back flared bright white, then darkened. In its place yellow sparks showered down, bathing the chair's last functional moments in a final light. Flashes burned in the light bulbs, too bright, shattering them and raining glass around the Digidestined. Takuya didn't register the heat in his cell phone as it overloaded until it burnt his hand, causing him to yelp. It clattered to the floor, hissing a dying breath. And then everything just stopped.

The Chosen of Darkness straightened, staring around at the others with a blank expression. Tears ran freely down his face and his red eyes were further bloodshot. Blood ran from his ears and nose and down onto his shirt. His body trembled, and, after a long, tense moment, he just crumpled.

"Koichi!" Izumi's voice was shrill with panic as she ran to his side, grasping at his shoulders. "Koichi, are you alright?!"

"It has him…" Koichi choked, barely audible. He couldn't stop shaking, couldn't stop crying. "The Ocean has my brother…"

* * *

Koichi sat at the table, silent, with face in his hands as the others watched. It had taken a solid fifteen minutes for him to allow anyone besides Izumi close, then another ten to get him into a chair. Like trying to scoop water off the floor with nothing but your hands. For a while they'd just listened to him weep, all attempts at comfort long past. Now they listened to the silence. No one knew what to do or even say. Was there even a right thing? And did any of them even have the right? Things had started off so simply: Koichi good, Ocean bad. Of course, the Ocean was still bad, but it was the bad _inside_ them. "Goodness" needed a more… flexible definition. Nothing they'd done had been "good" and yet it all needed doing. Everything brought them to this point, to this final, shattered moment, and everyone knew what came next. But how could they ask Koichi to do it?

"So…" Bahar said in a low, gravely voice, causing Takuya and Izumi to visibly jump. They looked at her with reproach, but she was pretty damn far past caring. Her sensitivity only stretched so much. They needed to move. "What are you gonna do?"

"It has my brother…" Koichi repeated, giving the floor a defeated look. "It has Koji… I don't understand… he's supposed to be better than me…"

"Okay, look, no one's better than the Ocean. You wanna beat it, you have to get down on its level. That's what makes it dangerous. Don't beat yourself up and don't blame Koji, alright?"

"Bahar," Izumi chided in a low voice. "Leave him be."

"He's been "being" for an hour now! I get this is hard, really. But we need to look at this objectively. Koji is a Chosen of Light, correct? So loosing him is a real set back."

"A set back?" Koichi's anger flared, raising his eyes to meet Bahar's. She smiled at his temper. "My brother's been brainwashed and you're calling it a set back?!"

"A Chosen of Light in the Dark Ocean is a major powerhouse. You're brother's not the first it's tried this with and he won't be the last. Fact is, when Koji gave in the Ocean got a whole lot stronger. Having it break through the Faraday Cage should scare you. We need to move and we need to do it now. So I'll ask again: what are you going to do?"

"He's not doing anything," said Takuya in a rush. "It's too dangerous for him. So Zumi and I will go, grab Koji, and drag his butt back here to detox. Once he's back we can come up with a plan."

"It's an obvious trap. Maybe Koichi _shouldn't_ go…"

"No," he snapped, straightening. The russet streaks on his neck stood out vividly and his face still shone with the remnants of tears. But the pain inside him had hardened into rage. "No, I'm going. _I'll_ bring Koji back."

"That's what Tache wants you to do! Come on buddy, think for a minute!"

"It's what has to be done. Koji's Digidestined, he won't "detox" like the others, don't you get that? Or did Dorian leave that part out."

The three gave Bahar varying degrees of shocked looks and she paused, licking her lips and nodding.

"Well, he won't. Koji's like Ysault; he'll only get back to normal when the Ocean is taken care of."

"And the only way that happens is for me to confront it," Koichi finished, featured solemn.

"Koichi, please," Izumi insisted, giving him a pleading look. "We want Koji back, but not if it costs us you. Are you sure about this?"

"No…" Koichi's gaze fell, his lips twisting into a small, mirthless smile. "Not even a little. That doesn't change anything. I'm afraid but I can't let fear stop me. I can't let it make me weak or the Ocean wins."

"Two hours ago I would've been with you two, but now there's only one way to the Ocean," Bahar stated, giving Takuya and Izumi a sideways look. "You can't protect you bud. Nothing can."

"I can't put it off anymore," Koichi said, voice softening. "I can't let Koji stay in that place. I want to go now."

Takuya and Izumi exchanged defeated looks. Really, it didn't matter what they wanted or thought was right. If Koichi was going they couldn't stop him. Physically could not prevent him from leaving. Not to mention Bahar was right; there wasn't another way. There was no more trying from a relatively safe environment, no more practicing. No way around it. And that made the two of them…

"What do you need," sighed Takuya.


	51. Breaking the Surface I

_She could see it, her body, moving out in the real world. Feel her hands sliding over Koji's flesh. Hear her voice as it whispered cruelty and manipulation. Tache's glee felt like frost in her chest, Its desire to control, to corrupt… to devour like a sickness in her stomach. Ysault hated it, she wanted to expel it and destroy it. For the first time since she'd succumbed, Ysault remembered how desperately she wanted to purge It from the world. This horribleness, this twisted distortion of a person's worst fears and insecurities. How could such a thing exist, so devoid of goodness? How had she allowed it to exist inside her for so long? This wasn't who she was- wasn't who she wanted to be._

 _It had started small, just inside the Ocean, like a nightmare. Vague and mismatched. She'd become aware when Koji had first arrived, though perhaps aware was too strong a word. More like… the glint of starlight. There had been another, someone who would not be broken; Ysault couldn't relate at all. This one though… He'd fought back, just as she had at first, and just as she had he'd lost. But no… that was too harsh. Every now and again he still struggled, lurching into wakefulness in a frenzied response to something she couldn't perceive. Curiosity was the first emotion to return to her fully; what was it that kept this Chosen of Light so strong in the face of emptiness? Was it an artifact of his element? Yet if that was the case, shouldn't Charity make her resistant to the heartless rampage Tache had usurped her body to perpetuate? Shouldn't she have been able to remain awake?_

 _Then one eternity, she'd seen him too. Koichi, Chosen of Darkness, the source and the end. A visitor in the Ocean unlike anything she could've expected. His presence was tangible, powerful and frail. Koji still wanted to protect him, his brother, from the pit into which they'd all fallen. It was misery and apathy; Ysault understood why one wouldn't want a loved one here. She remembered love. The Ocean would have her believe connections only caused pain, that they were a weakness to be purged. However it couldn't stop her from questioning… then it couldn't stop her from rejecting. All the lies the Ocean had layered into her mind fell away one by one. The longer she was awake the more certain she became. This had to stop._

 _This tree, a thing born from herself and, she understood, Koichi, had to die._

 _The Ocean was beyond them, some force like a storm or a fire. A disease. It had no will, only hunger, no way out of Its dark dimension other than through a host. Neither Koichi nor herself had the power to destroy it. There was no winning the game. No, Ysault thought, they couldn't beat the Ocean, but they could stop playing. Without them the tree would crumble and all the souls It had swallowed would be set free. Without them, it would be the Ocean that lost Its mind._

 _Ysault wanted it done. She wanted to escape, to push Tache out of her body like a splinter. She wanted to be away from this place so badly it ached. The cold of it bit into her flesh, the damp freezing in her lungs. Every fiber of her being wanted freedom; still, she knew she had to wait. Hubris had been her downfall once before, when she'd believed Its parasitic will would simply dissolve before her. When her strength had derived from solitude and anger. When she'd let it happen. It had been stupid to let Tache in, stupid and arrogant and desperate. Once it was inside her everything had twisted and engorged. Disgusting. She wouldn't make that mistake again, no matter how badly she longed to just finish it._

 _No, Ysault needed to wait for Koichi. As he'd needed to wait for her, though she doubted he understood that. When this all began neither one of them had been ready. They hadn't understood the cost or foreseen the consequences. Yet together they'd become the Ocean's body and mind. Together they'd brought Tache into the Human World. They'd only be able to make it right if they were together. What, exactly, they had to do still eluded her… what were Charity and Darkness supposed to do against evil? Before, as a child, Koichi had willed his element to a form that suited him. And yet that's how it always had been._

 _The true power of darkness isn't malicious, not like the Ocean at all. Darkness is quiet, the place where secrets and pain are kept. Connections can cut you open and tear out your insides. Anger and fear can erase everything that you are. But darkness isn't the cause; it's where we store such things to fester. It's what we trust with the self we don't want to see. True darkness is kind and compassionate and soothing. Monsters may hide in the shadows, but only because we put them there. What are monsters if not secrets we can't accept? What's a demon but the thing you don't want to believe about yourself? What is Charity of not an understanding of that?_

 _Thoughts swirled like mist as she bided her time. Tache was distracted, made giddy by Koichi's immanent arrival. It didn't sense her awakening, didn't notice when she began to extract herself from the tree trunk. To the thing in her skin she no longer had any significance; she was just a problem that had already been taken care of. Which suited Ysault just fine. Slowly, she experimented with movement, first her fingers making fists. Then her arms, tugging, wiggling, sliding out from the bark that encased them like taking off a particularly rigid set of gloves. Maybe the tree was weaker than it had been before, or maybe she was stronger than she thought. Bark crumbled like sandstone under her fingers, releasing her torso, her waist, her legs._

 _And finally she was free. Ysault pushed wet, honey hair from her face, glancing around to see if the Ocean noticed. No response. A grin of triumph pulled at her frozen face, spraying her cheeks with painful needles. Good. She liked the pain, it meant she was alive. Her gaze settled on someone below and the grin died. Gingerly climbing down, she shuddered when her bare feet touched the water. It felt hard and cold, more like a solid wall of ice than an ocean's surface. Briefly, she wondered how that made any sense. It pulsed beneath her toes, the waves pushing and pulling in an almost heartbeat. Then her attention returned to the someone and she found she didn't care._

" _Koji," she breathed, kneeling before him. He was waist deep in the water, his arms held out at 90˚ angles from his body. "Koji, wake up."_

 _His head twitched, his eyes cracking open in response to her call. She grasped his face, helping him to lookup. A small frown creased his features, his mind trying to think past the fog and comprehend what was happening._

" _Tache," he said with disdain, unable to work up any more emotion. With a sad smile, she shook her head._

" _No. I'm Ysault. One of the Digidestined, chosen just like you."_

" _Yeah, I guess you are like me," he muttered after a moment, dejected. His dark gaze fell downward, brow still creased. "Tache is running around in both our bodies."_

" _Not for much longer," she said forcefully, tilting her head to catch his eye. "Koji, listen to me, your brother's coming very soon now."_

" _No!" He jerked out of her hands, glaring with sudden anger. His fingers made fists, muscles straining against the branches that held him. "He can't come here!"_

" _It's not your choice," she whispered, giving him a compassionate smile. "It's his and he is coming. He has to, or this will never end. Do you understand?"_

" _I won't let this place have him," Koji snarled at her, blinking back the haze as it tried to take his thoughts away again. Ysault grabbed his shoulders urgently, bringing their faces close._

" _Of course not. This place can't have any of us. Not anymore. That's why Koichi's coming, to set things right. And he can do it. The Ocean is going to tell you he can't, that he'll fall again and the world will drown in darkness. I know what that feels like, but you can't listen."_

" _Why not? It gets what it wants. You, me, I don't even know what it did to Dorian. If my brother comes here it will take him too. He_ _ **can't**_ _come."_

" _Have faith in him, he's stronger than he was. Besides, he won't be fighting alone; we will be by his side. We won't loose."_

" _Forgive me if that doesn't fill me with confidence. I can't move and you… You're Ysault, the girl Tache has been parading around in for how long now? What can you do?"_

" _I don't know yet," she answered, not offended in the slightest. "I just know that Tache needs me to exist for now. And It needs to get inside Koichi to open the Human World to the Ocean… Tache is the Ocean but the Ocean isn't Tache…"_

" _You're not making any sense."_

" _Out there in both the Digital and Real world It's a parasite, but here Tache is nothing but a distortion. I may not know exactly what needs to be done, still, I know we can defeat It here. Once Tache is gone everyone will wake up and the Ocean won't be able to spread. We stop it here."_

" _Tch… You sound crazy… then again, Koichi's crazy too…"_

" _Koji? Koji!"_

 _His head lulled down towards his chest, his eyes falling closed. She gave him a hard shake and received no response. Gritting her teeth, Ysault grabbed at the branches around his wrists, tearing at them with all her strength. They were like stone in her hands, cold and unyielding. With a low, grunting noise she moved to the root in the back of his neck, grimacing at its texture. Spongy and wet. She couldn't grip it, her nails just created slits in the white flesh as she dug in. Bracing her feet on his back, she heaved, pulling as hard as she could. But it was useless. Whatever power that allowed Ysault to be herself again could not be communicated. Dark mist excreted from the bark, enveloping Koji and stealing his consciousness away. Her breath caught in her throat, tears of anger and helplessness burning in her eyes._

 _Only she wasn't helpless._

" _It won't take him. Remember that; don't let It convince you otherwise," she said, leaning through the mist to speak into Koji's ear. "It won't be able to take him and together Koichi and I will bring an end to this."_


	52. Breaking the Surface II

When Takuya spotted Koji he thought the universe was playing a prank on him. The Chosen of Light was leaning against the side of a warehouse, arms folded. As if nothing was wrong. As if nothing in the whole damn world was wrong at all. When Koji saw Takuya, he raised an arm at the elbow and cut his hand through the air in a casual wave. It was as if they were meeting there intentionally, like they'd made plans. Two friends going to grab food or something. Like he didn't even care about keeping up appearances. The absolute farce of it all burnt. Takuya couldn't say he was surprised, but at the same time it wasn't what he was expecting.

Their phone call had sounded like he was escaping, like he was tucked away in some corner as troops stormed just outside. Obviously, that wasn't the case. As a result of Koichi's premonition they'd known going in the whole conversation was faked. Still, he'd expected at least some pretense. Or maybe that was the wrong way to put it; maybe he'd hoped there was some truth to Koji's words. Maybe he wanted to see his best friend fighting the evil inside him. But when his now black gaze swung up from the cement, Takuya knew better.

"Hey buddy," he tried, approaching as if he wasn't already sure this was a trap. "You don't look so good."

Koji gave him a wry, hollow smile.

"Never felt better."

The sound of his voice caught on some edge of desperation inside him. Takuya let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders slouching as the will to pretend he didn't know what had happened left him.

"Koji come on," he breathed. "You don't mean that. What did they do to you anyway?"

"Where's Koichi," Koji said, expression unchanged. "You did bring him, right? Where is he?"

"What if I didn't," Takuya shot, the sting of his words sparking his chest. Koji didn't answer right away.

"I told you I needed him."

"Yeah, you mentioned that. Didn't say for what, though."

"Doesn't matter. You should've brought him to me."

"Will you listen to yourself! This is your brother we're talking about, not some _thing_! Or did they make you forget that?"

"I haven't forgotten anything," Koji snapped, his smile twisting into a scowl as he pushed off the wall. "I'm trying to _help him_. What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to help you!" Takuya bit back, unable to stand this thing that so obviously wasn't his friend any longer. Brashly, he moved forward, grasping Koji's shoulder with some vague intentions of dragging him to safety. "I'm getting you out of here."

Like lightning Koji had grabbed Takuya and shoved him face first into the warehouse wall, holding his arm painfully at his back.

"Like hell you are," he hissed through his teeth, bringing his mouth to Takuya's ear. "You wanna help me? You don't know the first thing about it. I'm not some damsel and I don't need you to rescue me."

"You're wrong," Takuya said, pressing his forehead to the wood. "I know a lot about it. I know these people ambushed Koichi in an alleyway and tried to shove a needle into his skull. I know they kidnapped my brother and I've watched this Dark Ocean thing turn people I care about inside out. I know what I did because It told me to. Maybe I've never been there, but I've seen what it can do. And I know you- I _know_ you don't want this for yourself or Koichi."

"How many times am I going to have to explain this," he sighed, shaking his head and smiling cruelly. "But I guess I shouldn't be surprised; you always were a moron."

"You're still in there Koji." His voice was low now, pleading and hopeful and yet burning with intensity. "Fight it! Don't you know what you're doing? Can't you see how messed up you are?"

"How messed up I am? You're a self-righteous, ignorant, stubborn ass and you want to talk about how messed up I am," Koji growled, his nails digging into Takuya's wrist. "That's rich. Do you actually want to know what they did to me, or are you just trying to make some kind of a point? Maybe I should show you? It'll happen eventually, one way or another; there's nothing you can do to stop it."

A shiver ran down Takuya's spine.

"You won't do it," he whispered, silencing the fear in his chest. "We're friends. You wouldn't do that to me."

"Friends? After what you did to my brother? What kind of fantasy world are you living in?"

"So you're going to punish me, is that it?!"

"You really don't have a clue, do you. Everyone thinks the Dark Ocean is this evil thing but it's not. It's power and it's going to change the world. We're the key you know. We're how it spreads. Isn't that what we're supposed to do as Digidestined? Even someone like you must want to be a part of something."

"I am a part of something, it's called a team. We're not giving up on you, no matter what kind of craziness comes out of your mouth."

"I have an idea," Koji said, twisting Takuya's wrist until he grunted in pain. "Let's go find Izumi, she's always been more reasonable. I'll just… persuade her, then maybe she can get through to you."

"Don't you touch her!"

"Let him go."

Koji went rigid, shivering at the voice. Wordlessly he released Takuya's arm and took a step back, allowing the Warrior of Flame to scramble away. Together, they looked back in the direction Takuya had come from. Bahar and Izumi were there, and behind them a figure stood in the dusky shadows. Slowly, he stepped forward, dark eyes glinting in the half-light as he gave them both a hard look. The younger twin couldn't help but smile, but it was a pained, sad smile.

"It's nice to see you brother," he said casually. "I didn't think you'd come."

"The Ocean did," Koichi answered, unblinking. "That's why It took you. I'm sorry Koji. I never meant for any of this to happen. I never wanted this for you."

"Why not? It's clarity, Koichi. It's how I was meant to be."

"No it's not. If you were yourself you'd know better. But the Ocean's inside your mind, you couldn't think straight if you wanted to. I know what that's like and I know, deep down, further than you can even perceive, you want to be free just like I did. I couldn't protect you, but I am going to save you."

"I don't think so," Koji smirked. "I know who you are Koichi. I know _what_ you are. This is your destiny, always has been. All I want is for you to embrace that. I care about you, Koichi, I just want what's best for you."

"Don't talk to me like you're my brother," he spat, tucking his chin into his chest. "Don't talk to any of us like you're Koji."

"But I am Minamoto Koji. I _am_ your brother and their friend. You can't just pretend I'm not because it's convenient."

"Of course we can't," inserted Izumi, holding a fist to her chest. "That's why we're all here, because, somewhere in there, you're still you. I don't know what's controlling you or how, I don't even understand what the Dark Ocean does to a person. I just know we're not giving up on you."

"Will you stop with all this savior crap? Is it so hard to believe I chose this? That I _choose_ to be stronger, smarter, faster, everything any of us aspire to?"

"What about kindness," she shot back. "What about compassion and friendship and trusting in other people?"

"Weakness," Koji said with a shrug. "You all say you want to set me free but I'm freer now than I've ever been. And make no mistake, I will share that freedom with you. All of you. Once Koichi becomes what he was always meant to be there will be no other course."

"We'll see about that," Koichi snarled. He opened his mouth to say more, but Bahar moved to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder and causing him to pause. Her black eyes met his meaningfully and she gave her head a small shake.

"Don't get distracted," she chided. "You remember what it's like; it's pointless to talk to him."

Koichi's skin crawled and his mouth went dry. Anger was so much easier than acceptance… so much simpler to manipulate. Anger made him stupid, vulnerable, and right now he could afford neither. Of course he was mad at Koji, however, this broken reflection wasn't to blame. It couldn't be blamed for anything, it had no autonomy. It was just the Ocean parading around in his brother's flesh. Just a symptom of the disease. Their eyes met, once again made identical by the corruption inside both of them. The difference was Koichi knew he was corrupt, though he wasn't about to let the Ocean use that against him. No, he knew what he had to do.

"Bahar's right, there's nothing we can say that'll bring Koji back," he said in a low tone, eyes flicking to Takuya and Izumi. They both tensed, unable to contradict him and equally unable to accept their own uselessness. They weren't useless though; they were the reason he wasn't about to fail. Through everything- despite everything, they were all friends. They stood together, even as the mantles of traitor and monster were passed around. They were each other's strength. Returning his gaze to Koji, Koichi spoke directly to the darkness.

"We're going to have to take care of the source."

"Take care of it," Koji laughed. For a moment he almost sounded like himself. "I don't think so."

"We're done talking. Take me to Tache."

"Koichi…" His voice went suddenly quiet, maybe even plaintive, a small frown narrowing his eyes. For a moment he looked concerned. "Nii-san…"

"Take me to Tache," Koichi repeated, softer now. "It's time. I know you can't disobey me; the Ocean won't let you. So take me. This ends now."


	53. Breaking the Surface III

Ysault was beautiful. He already knew that from the mixtures of Dorian's and her memories that had played in his mind while he slept. Seeing her in person though… it some how made it all more real. At the same time, he knew at a glance that the person before him wasn't right. Her hair had been generally maintained, but not the way she'd kept it. Instead it hung limp around her shoulders, ends frayed and frizzy. Skin that had shone like the moon now looked gaunt and grey, blue veins brought to the surface by dehydration. And her eyes lacked not only luster, but all the softness and power that defined her. No, some beauty lingered, but this wasn't Ysault.

"Koichi." Ysault's voice rang like music in the silence. The smile that twisted her lips was cruel, filled with hunger. "You're here. Finally. I can't tell you how painful it's been to wait."

His features steeled, but he didn't dignify Its attempts at conversation with any more of a response. Tache didn't seem to mind too much; Its eyes moved back to Takuya and Izumi before settling on Bahar.

"I see you brought friends. Excellent. Now it's a proper reunion, don't you think Dorian?"

The Chosen of Loyalty was still tied to a post in the corner. He didn't say anything. He didn't have to, his expression was completely mortified. Never in his most pessimistic projections did they all end up Tache's prisoners. It had never crossed his mind that he could fail so completely. Or that they would all be so incredibly stupid as to come here in the first place. Koichi of course, he had to be there, but the rest of them? Bahar, however, had no such inhibitions.

"A proper reunion, are you shitting me," she spat, not even bothering to hide her disgust. "If I could rip you out of Ysaults body like the parasite you are, then we could **burn you** and have our proper reunion."

"Now that's not very polite. You know it is just that kind of insensitivity that made you a terrible friend."

"Don't say things like that," whispered Dorian, finding his voice. "Don't use her to say something like that!"

"Oh shut up." Bahar swung her black gaze towards him, concentrating her disdain until it was almost tangible. "I don't need your protection. You lost your right to act all high and mighty when you left me to the Ocean."

"But… I didn't," he said, genuinely confused. "You were in the Digital World, not the Dark Ocean."

"Oh no she was in the Ocean," laughed Tache, tossing him a smile over Its shoulder. "I flooded the area as we left. Really once we were gone there was no reason not to. She held out for quite a while, but somehow got out before I could… help her. Your doing, I assume?"

Dorian met Bahar's gaze, his icy blue orbs hard and trying to communicate something he couldn't put into words. She narrowed her dark eyes, trying to decide if she believed him.

"No matter, I'll rectify that now."

"You will not touch any of them." Koichi's voice cracked like thunder, though it wasn't particularly loud. A scowl crossed Ysault's face, small but dangerous.

"You should let me help you with your confusion before you speak," It hissed with forced sweetness.

"This is between you and me," he continued, staring straight into those black chasms that functioned as eyes. "Don't touch them."

"You know it's inevitable."

"If that's true then you have nothing to loose by waiting. That is what you're best at, right? Waiting."

Koichi allowed himself a small smirk. Tache tensed Its jaw, no longer looking amused. With a small sigh through Its nose, It moved to a medical table and picked up a small, plastic syringe, removing the packaging intentionally. Yuki approached with a long, thick needle, accepting the syringe. The only up side was that it looked sterile. Now it was Koichi's turn to tense, but if Tache noticed, the gesture did not brighten Its mood. Its black gaze returned to the Chosen of Darkness.

"Even I have my limits."

"Then lets stop playing. I came to you, just like you always knew I would. I'm ready."

"As am I."

On cue Koji came up behind him, securing his wrists behind his back. Instinct hit Koichi like a heart attack and he tried to pull away. Without really meaning to he lashed out with his mind, but there was a coldness inside his brother that he couldn't overcome now. Takuya lunged forward, though what exactly he thought he was going to do was a mystery. Another one of Tache's cult materialized from the shadows and struck him over the head. Izumi screamed a mixture of fear and anger, moving quickly to his side and giving the girl (maybe 15 with auburn hair and a round face) a venomous look. Swearing under her breath, Bahar made a move to join them, but froze when three more teens appeared. She snarled, but that didn't change the situation. There was no escaping, no alternative, no more delays. Still…

Koji ran his fingers up the back of Koichi's neck, holding hair out of the way and giving the needle a clear path through the cisterna magnum and into the subarachnoid cavity.

"Don't make him do this," Koichi pleaded, watching as Yuki drew a viscous liquid from a capped vial into the syringe. His face was focused, the slightest wrinkle creasing his brow as he measured. "Please. I'm here, I won't fight you any more, just don't make my brother do this."

"Oh but he wants to," Tache laughed, giving him a freezing grin which communicated very clearly Its renewed glee. Yet there was an edge to Its voice- suspicion maybe? Or anxiety.

"Don't you Koji?"

There was a long, thick moment where time seemed to stop. The hand in Koichi's hair trembled, the form behind him tensing. Tache's grin widened.

"Don't you."

"Yes…" Koji answered, his palm pressing hard into his brother's skull.

Takuya and Izumi were saying something, maybe Bahar too, but Koichi couldn't hear them over the pounding of his heart. Yuki came around, standing next to Koji and pressing the needle into his skin. It was happening… it was really happening. Panic caught in his throat and he tried to jerk away. Anticipating his resistance, Koji tightened his grip, forcing his chin into his chest so hard it hurt. The needle punctured his skin. Hot blood rose to the surface. Koichi couldn't breathe. He could feel it like a cold intruder moving through his flesh. So fast he didn't have any time- Pressure in his head.

And then it was done. Air passed over his lips and into the silence. Koji's arms wrapped around him now, supporting him as every voluntary muscle in his body slowly gave out. Darkness started at the center of his vision, bleeding outwards, like entering a tunnel. Numbness made it difficult to move his hands… or anything. Things were happening around him, the world resuming as he faded from it, yet Koichi was loosing his ability to perceive them. Ironically, the last thing he heard was Dorian's voice, though whether or not Dorian had actually said anything was debatable. Still, it resonated inside him, a final drop of light before he was consumed by shadows.

"Find her. Koichi, you have to find her- you have to bring her back."

Then…


	54. Breaking the Surface IV

He hated the damp cold, hated the way it bit into him as if to gnaw on his very bones. Just as the seething hunger of the Ocean gnawed on his soul. It wasn't an unfamiliar sensation, in fact it was one to which he was almost accustomed. But this time was different from before. This time there was no out, no refuge to retreat to and no avenue of escape. This time, he realized with a horrible stab of terror, there was no going back. His eyes opened and he took in the vast expanse of despair. Parasitic roots burrowed into countless hosts, numbing their minds and parading around in their skin. What, he wondered briefly, would they remember? Water surged around his knees and in his ears, his breath hung in clouds before him as salt made his damp skin feel grimy. And before him, larger than it had ever been, loomed the leafless, dark tree. _His_ tree, the taint from his heart fed by the Ocean and nurtured into a consciousness.

To his left, near the base of the tree, his brother rested. Encased in bark and limp, his face looked… resigned. Koichi remembered that feeling, could feel it tugging at him now. It's easy to describe the undesirable parts of one's self as demons, and even easier to surrender and let those parts define you. The Ocean brought them out and gave them free reign, convincing the true self that it doesn't exist. And once you don't exist, once the emptiness and total lack of purpose swells into a void inside, it's easy to become a pawn in someone else's game. Koji was a pawn now and that knowledge constricted around Koichi's throat. A sob tore at him, pain which the Ocean was quick to latch onto, slicing into his chest.

Yet the Chosen of Darkness paid it no mind; actually, the invasion made him angry. His grief and his brother's suffering were real, valid emotions that everyone has. Not the only emotions they would ever feel and not tools to be used for manipulation. This attempt to hollow him out, this distraction from his purpose… Koichi was done being distracted. He was done playing the game. When it had been just him, when the Ocean had focused exclusively on eroding _him_ it had been isolating. It had been unbearable to be such a burden. Had It continued on that tack he would've arrived at this moment with a different mindset. Maybe things would've turned out differently. Then it had made a miscalculation. Instead of persuading him to embrace his supposed fate the act sparked against his last shred of defiance. Koichi would not allow Koji to endure the Ocean, he wouldn't standby and watch it swallow him. To prevent his brother from becoming his demons, he would merge with his own. Koichi was going to tear this world apart.

He was the only one who could.

Breathing slowly and deeply, Koichi approached the massive trunk. As he did so the bark seemed to shiver in anticipation. Then it pulled itself apart, peeling back like a curtain to expose the taint that had served as a seed. It was surprisingly small, maybe the size of a melon, carmine and swirling and pulsating. The heart of it all. His dark heart, steeped in loneliness and envy. Not for the first time fear made a fist around his ribcage. One of two things was about to happen: he was going to become his true self or Duskmon was going to be reborn. The Ocean would loose its connection to the Human and Digital Worlds and be forced back to its own dimension, or it would spill over and spread. It all depended on whether or not he could accept what he didn't want to acknowledge about himself.

There was no turning back. Swallowing hard, Koichi reached towards the seething mass. His fingers brushed the cold mist and passed through it, until his hand was entirely engulfed. Somehow, despite the pain, it felt right. Gravitation kicked in and the mist became solid tendrils that burrowed into his skin. Yelping, he pulled back, but it was already inside him, in his blood, working its way up his arm. The Ocean roared in his mind, his eyes stretching wide open as he choked. All around him the air shimmered and tore, windows into another world cracking open. Koichi could see a crowd of people with black eyes through one, a wooden wall and a stack of crates through another. It was starting; the barrier was eroding and soon the Ocean would spread. He was going to-

A girl with long golden hair and jade eyes kneeling next to a boy. He looked disoriented and horrified. His brown-gloved hands were clenched into fists. Beside them another girl, dark skin and curly hair, hard and soft at the same time. Then ice blue eyes that, despite the fear, burned with hope that had been absent for such a terribly long time. And someone who shared his own face, devoid of compassion and love. Yet that wasn't true; it was an artificial state forced upon him. He didn't want to be like that, not really, and existing as such was tearing him apart. If the windows remained open and the Ocean spilled over he would never escape. No one would escape consumption.

"No… This isn't right."

The resentment he felt, the solitude and crushing neglect, it was unbearable. It made him want to accept the numbness the Ocean offered. To just let bitterness turn him inside out and twist whatever remained into something unrecognizable and vengeful. Anything to stop the pain. He wanted to blame Tache, to pretend this wasn't how he really felt, that this was just a demon that didn't belong to him. He wanted to, but he didn't.

"You're me," he grunted, doubling over. "You are. I won't deny it anymore. I won't ignore you. But you don't define me. I am more than just one way. I accept you, but I will not become you."

Slowly the pain subsided, like the tide going out. He straightened, wiping something wet from his cheeks with the back of his hand. It wasn't at all like he had imagined. Koichi felt sick and tired and strangely warm. In his core, though, he knew he was whole.

"Bravo," said a very unimpressed voice from behind him.

He spun around, feeling his stomach drop right out of his body. A figure made of black mist was clapping Its hands slowly, giving him a piercing stare.

"Tache… But I… You can't be, not any more."

"Do you feel like you've made some great accomplishment? Did you honestly think it would be so simple to get rid of me? Don't entertain such delusions. I have you, Kimura Koichi. So long as you're here you're feeding me. So long as I have Ysault's body I cannot be banished. It doesn't matter what you do or think. Savor your little victory if you want, you're still a broken mess of a human. In the end you'll remember that. Then you'll submit."

"I will not," he spat venomously. "You have no hold over me, not anymore."

"Give it time," It sneered. "After all, we have so much time."

The ground gave out beneath his feet, giving him just enough time to gasp before being swallowed. Water and salt burnt his nose, his eyes, flooded his mouth. Koichi lurched, coming to life in a world without gravity. Or air. A scream of surprise passed over his lips and made no sound. Just a silvery bubble that glistened in the grey. Something was twisted around his torso, pulling him downward. Beneath the waves and into the deep. Down to a place from which he could never return, to a death that was too certain. Except he wouldn't die. The Ocean would keep him, hold him under an eternity of pain and regret and self-loathing. Trap him in an arena with monsters he could only fight for so long. His and theirs, the people already entangled in the Ocean's roots. Eventually he would yield. They all yielded. Then there would be work to do… So much work before It could spread. Engulf the world until only the darkness existed.

He flailed, hands cutting through the water as he fought to swim. This could not be allowed to happen- he wouldn't just let it happen! Everything about the Ocean's plans repulsed him, every sick idea it put in his head made him want to vomit. That this depression, this damp and cold lack of feeling that made everyone it touched want to just stop existing, could be inflicted on even one more person enraged him. Koichi fought back, rejecting it, refusing to become host to something so purely evil.

Yet still he sank.


	55. Breaking the Surface V

And then a hand broke the surface, extending down towards him. Without concern for where it came from, Koichi reached back, grasping, desperate. Her thin fingers curled around his wrist in a surprisingly strong grip, her skin warm and soft and human. A burst of power radiated outward from their joining like an explosion of everything the Ocean wasn't, forcing the water back. Brining the surface back to him. The water felt like hard, cold glass as he kneeled on top of it. Beneath, the Ocean still seethed, hungry, but it couldn't devour him as was Its plan. For just a moment, Koichi felt safe.

A cough burst from his chest, expelling water from his lungs. His limbs trembled in relief and his eyes struggles to refocus. Someone was by his side. She waited patiently, still holding his hand in hers. Water dripped from her honey hair and her kind face, her brown eyes catching his in what felt like a comfortable embrace.

"Ysault," he choked, panting. "You… You're…"

"There was a time when you and I both chose this," she breathed in a musical voice, smiling a small, sad smile. "But that time is now past. The Ocean is wrong; you're not broken. And neither am I. You, me, and everyone here, we may not be perfect but we are the way we are and there is nothing wrong with that. Maybe we need help, maybe we need perspective and compassion, but that's not what the Ocean is and I for one am through being its monster. Koichi, I'm sorry this happened to you and I'm sorry it took me so long to come."

"Don't be sorry," he returned, matching her smile. "I'm not innocent in all this. You would think I'd have learned, but I was arrogant. I thought I could do this myself."

"I thought the same thing," she said wryly. "And that's why we're here now."

"Not the only reason. All this, it's not our fault, but it is our responsibility. What matters is we're here now. Together we can end this, I know we can."

"Well isn't that adorable," Tache laughed as they stood, folding Its ethereal arms. "Look at you both, fighting the good fight against the tide as it floods in. Go on, play your little games and give your little speeches. Nothing has changed, you both belong to me."

"You understand so little," said Ysault, her features hardening. "Everything has changed; _we_ have changed. Without me you have no body and without Koichi you have no mind. Neither of us will be your host any longer. You cannot enter the Human World and you can no longer hold the Digital."

"How noble you are, Ysault. Always the superior one, so virtuous and good. Yet we both know what's underneath. I made you what you longed to be. And Koichi, don't think you're exempt. It was your anger and loneliness that made me what I am. I owe my existence to you."

"Maybe I gave you a voice," admitted Koichi, feeling Ysault's fingers tighten around his. "There was some shred of me inside you, some part I didn't want. That doesn't mean you are me. I've taken back what is mine and when we leave the Dark Ocean will go back to being just a force."

"If you could do that you would've done so already," the form snarled. A powerful wind made of cold and pain burst from it, catching the Digidestined and sending them to their knees. Tearing them apart.

"Perhaps you've regained consciousness for now, but it won't last. Eventually your wills will erode and you'll submit once more. It's human nature to exchange humanity for power. It's all so paradoxical. All any of you want is to deny your own flaws and blame the world for your problems. And yet guilt consumes you, paralyzes you because your own hatred goes against your artificial morals. I am the Dark Ocean, I was created from this paradox and I am its only solution. Ours is a natural symbiosis, you both will remember that soon enough."

"People are cruel," whispered Ysault, speaking to the waves beneath her hands. Her brown eyes were hard and sad. "If you don't fit perfectly they can deny your very existence. Invalidate all your pain and work, make you feel like you're what's wrong. The paradox you're talking about is real; however it's not the only one because people are also kind and understanding. They can realize what they've done and make amends. They can be sorry, not just guilty."

"Is this the part where you tell me about friendship?"

"No. This is the part where you go back to the void."

She pushed herself up, tucking her chin to her chest and smiling. Koichi scrambled to follow her, reaching out and taking her hand again. Darkness emanated from the point of contact, amorphous and yet still distinct from the tree's shadows. The edges were defined, the body dense and seething. He could feel her strength return as something else left. What was it? Fear, maybe? Inside him the same feeling bloomed, terrifying and freeing. Neither one of them cared- could afford to care anymore. Like Ysault had said, they were what they were and there was no shame in it. Together they focused on an intention, believed that they could destroy Tache, and their darkness responded. It concentrated into a sphere before them, then shot across the water. A wake sprayed outwards in a wide V with the shadowy figure at its apex. Tache let out a howl of rage, holding out Its hand as if to block the energy. But the sphere just deformed around It, engulfing It, forcing it back. Behind them there was the sound of wood creaking.

"Ysault," Koichi said urgently, looking over his shoulder. "The tree! That thing is just another illusion meant to distract us. We need to destroy the tree!"

"Oh no you don't," screamed Tache, breaking through their attack and sending a wave of Its own.

Water exploded in a geyser from the waves, twisting in the air like a serpent before arcing towards the pair. Ysault tugged right, but had misjudged the trajectory. The Ocean swallowed her, pulling her into itself, with such force a stream of bubbles was forced from her lips. Koichi held fast, flattening himself against the glassy barrier that shielded him from the waves. Plunging his other hand into the frigid water, he grasped at Ysault, hauling her back to the surface. She coughed and gasped violently, and yet her salt burnt eyes flashed with indignant determination. Reorienting, they turned their backs on Tache and faced the dark, gnarled trunk of the tree. The real source.

"If you do this," Tache threatened, materializing between the pair and their target. "You'll never be strong again. Can you do that? Can you live the rest of your life in pathetic weakness?"

"No," said Ysault shortly. "I'll find my own strength."

"Let me free you from your despair, let me give you purpose, let the whole world bask in the power of darkness! It will happen eventually, with or without you. The Dark Ocean will find a way, it always has and it always will. Wouldn't you rather be a part of something- _be_ something greater than what you are?"

"You're right, the Ocean does find a way," Koichi acknowledged. "But so long as there are Digidestined it will fail to spread. We will always be there to stop it. As for your offer, I also decline. I'm just going to be myself and that's enough."

"Stop it! I command you to stop!"

"You don't control us anymore," spat Ysault. "We reject you. We denounce you. And now we destroy you!"

Another sphere of darkness formed before them and burst from them. It tore through Tache, silencing its scream, and impacted the tree's trunk. Bark splintered and sprayed, cracking and, finally, dispersing into a million flecks of data that hung like a fine cloud for a moment. Then it all compressed into a black hole which sucked in the water and the roots with a powerful wind. The pair stood through the storm, hair and cloths flapping, and watched victim after victim break free from the spongy white roots and disappear with a flash of light. The girl with auburn hair, the strong boy with a square jaw, Koji. Every single one of the people Tache had enslaved escaped the Dark Ocean, until the world reformed and Ysault and Koichi were the only two left.

They stood on a grey, rocky beach, shivering in the damp with their backs to insurmountable cliffs. A lighthouse cast shadows in the distance, rotating silently. The waves were calm and quiet, almost echoing in a world that was once again empty. Smiling a little, Ysault and Koichi looked at each other one last time before they, too, disappeared.


	56. Aftermath I

Koichi pressed his palms into his skull, trying very hard to focus on the summer homework before him. It seemed wrong somehow, to go back to something so normal after so much had happened. A part of him, a part he was still getting used to, felt such things were beneath him. Like he was better than school. Which was ridiculous because this math was absolutely defeating him. Obviously he still had a great deal to learn, but his frustration made him angry. No not angry… irritated. He remembered being this impatient when he was younger, how quickly bitterness had built up inside him. When they'd gotten back from the Digital World he'd thought maybe he'd done some learning and grown out of that. The realization that it had been extracted like a tumor was unsettling. And now that tumor was back. Now he'd need to do that growing. Which was probably the real source of his irritation. Koichi was irritated that he was irritated and that was infuriating.

A soft creaking noise followed by a click told him that someone had entered the room. He looked up from the papers to see Ysault, standing with her hand resting on the doorknob. She looked very uncomfortable in Izumi's lilac skirt and white top, though it was fairly modest. The skirt extended to the ground in flowing folds and the top had long sleeves; it was just that her shoulders were bare and a strip of pale flesh around her stomach was visible. Her honey hair was once again braided and over one shoulder, her brown eyes both inquisitive and demanding.

"May I," she asked, blinking at him. Koichi smiled back, waving her over.

"I could use a break anyway."

Ysault gave him a little grin, settling herself stiffly on the bed. He turned in his chair, leaning back and giving her an appraising look. It was unclear if either of them knew why she'd come. At the same time, it seemed perfectly natural for her to be there. The shared experience of the Dark Ocean hung between them.

"Is it difficult? You're homework, I mean."

"It shouldn't be," Koichi scoffed with a hollow laugh. She tilted her head to one side and he rephrased. "I used to understand this."

"I know what you mean," she breathed back, eyes dropping to the floor as a sad smile wrinkled her face. After a moment she seemed to make a decision and continued, whispering: "I remember that the Ocean… having it inside you was…"

"You can say it. It made you empty but stronger."

"It's sick, but a part of me, the part that It let out, misses It."

Koichi gave her a shocked look and she wilted for a moment. Then she seemed to reconsider, raising her eyes knowingly. Now it was Koichi's turn to recoil. He swallowed, moving his eyes to the window. Ysault let out a sigh, shifting her weight.

"I wish I didn't…" he confessed in a low voice. "I wish I'd never encountered It. I wish I'd never-"

"But it happened. Neither of us can pretend otherwise."

They sat in silence for a moment, staring at each other. Finally, Koichi reached across the space and grasped Ysault's hand. Her breath quickened and she bit her lower lip.

"I'm trying to understand why. I'm trying to remember the way I used to be and how I let things get so out of control."

"You didn't _let_ anything-"

"I think I did. The Ocean was the first thing that ever told me it was okay to be the way I am. Everyone else, even Dorian and Bahar, they put me on a pedestal, as if I was some kind of pure saint. They treated me like I was perfect, but I felt unnatural, deformed, and I was angry about it. Only I wasn't allowed to be angry. I wasn't allowed to be a person. I-"

"Ysault," he said. "Asexual is not a deformity. And being kind doesn't make you perfect."

"Yes, I know. And I'm okay with that now. But Koichi, no one understands why I went to the Ocean. They just slink around like I'm made of glass. They blame themselves but they don't know what for. Before they never saw me and now all they see is that person I became when It was in control. I'm more myself than I've ever been and still they look at me like they don't know me at all."

"So much has happened, can you really blame them?"

Ysault pulled away, folding her arms as if cold and looking back towards the door. Koichi tried to catch her eye and then, when he failed, continued.

"Izumi and Takuya are two of my best friends and Koji is my twin. Before that's all there was to it, but now… Takuya helped drug me and strapped me to a chair while Izumi just watched. Koji lied to me, knocked me out, and got himself kidnapped. I understand why, and I don't know what I would've done differently in their position, but I'm still upset. And I also remember them by my side when I was at my worst, refusing to abandon me when I hurt them, saving me from myself. Which just makes me more upset. I can't really be angry with them and still I can't forget… any of it."

"I still want to be friends," she sighed innocently. "I don't want- no, I won't let the Ocean take away my friends. I won't let it win."

"Does that make it easier? To just stubbornly forgive them."

"I don't know if forgiveness is the right word… Maybe you're right and it's that I can't blame them. Dorian did what he did for me, to bring me back. I know that's of little comfort to you, but to me it means a great deal. Even when he learned I'm not the person he thought I was, even when I became the worst version of myself, he stood by me and tried to defeat me. And Bahar had and has her own challenges; she's different too. That made her denial of the way I am hurt all the more. But she's trying, just like Dorian. It's just frustrating how _hard_ they're trying, if that makes any sense."

"No it does," muttered Koichi, leaning back. "Your friends care about you and fought for you. Even if they made you feel broken, even if they pushed you, that still has to count for something."

"So did yours. So did your brother."

There was a breath that seemed to last for minutes while they both tried to find the words for what they meant. Each knew the other's feelings, each understood what it was to have Tache inside and be reborn from that experience. Still, they wanted to articulate it. Words have power and, it seemed to the two, they'd only be able to move forward after they found those words.

"How it all happened…" Koichi started. "I want to be angry- no, I _am_ angry. I can't let myself deny these sorts of things anymore. Our friends, our family, the world at large, their blind eyes pushed us into a corner and Tache was the only way out."

"You can't say that; it's not so one-sided. We made our own choices too."

"Which is why I'm angry. I just want things to be the way they were but I'm not that person anymore. There's this thing inside me now that I have to watch and no one's ever going to look at me the same way again. There's no going back."

"Maybe "going back" is the wrong way to think about it." Ysault rubbed her lips together, her eyes flicking from the door, to Koichi, and then to the window. "The objective truth is that we're different from how we were before the Ocean- before Tache. We changed in a very difficult, very public way and there's no getting around that. Pretending otherwise will just put us back where we started, where the Ocean found us. So maybe we should be thinking about "starting over" instead."

"With everyone? With all the history that's already there? Ysault, you can't just remake your relationships."

"A new chapter then. Of course it will be an adjustment. I've been this quiet, passive person my whole life. I never told anyone if they were making me uncomfortable or said anything if I was hurt and I was praised for it. Now I can't do it anymore. I don't need praise; I need to be myself. I have to be who I truly am, even if no one likes her. That's going to be hard for a lot of people, but I…"

Her eyes slid to Koichi and their gazes locked.

"I trust that my friends and family love me enough to stay with me. Anyone who leaves is someone I don't need anyway."

"You're very decisive," Koichi chuckled, causing Ysault to wrinkle her nose as she smiled.

"What about you," she redirected. "What will you do?"

"Turn the page, same as you I guess. But it's different for me because the part that Tache exploited was excised for so long. Ever since that first encounter in the alley though… I feel like a child again, throwing tantrums, and I don't know how to control it."

"Trying to control it is your first problem, I think. Anger is natural, you just have to express it in a healthy way."

"Not by selling your soul to an Ocean made of evil?"

"No, not by doing that," she laughed, pulling her braid from one shoulder over the other. "But in all seriousness, I think you need to be okay with getting angry. What you did in the Digital World, when you rejected the corruption, that was all your own work. The patience and compassion you've shown since are still a part of you. Give yourself some credit and remember who you are."

His expression darkened and he looked away, staring very pointedly at the summer homework. Ysault frowned, tilting her head as she tried to determine what, exactly, she'd said wrong.

"Who I am… Who _we_ are is tainted."

Pause.

"That's a cruel way to think of it."

"Ysault I know what you're trying to do, and I appreciate it, but no matter how you look at it we're touched by darkness. We spread darkness. We have to be sure that darkness never hurts anyone again. It's a lot to accept about yourself."

"Inflicting pain on others is inevitable and thinking you'll never hurt anyone is naïve."

Koichi's head jerked, his face twisting in bewilderment. In sharp contrast her features were hard and certain, maybe even a little offended. She spoke in a low, musical tone that silenced the world.

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't try. It takes conviction to be a good person and effort to be kind. It's a decision you have to constantly make. We chose wrong once, that's true, and that will follow us. Yet saying we're tainted forever is very shortsighted. Tache took that choice away while It was in us, but we overcame It and won our lives back. What defines us is the choice we're making now. Do you understand me?"

"You know the Ocean is still out there. It could come back."

"Well it is welcome to try. And every time It does the Digidestined will be there to throw It back, just like you said. Whatever the case, I know one thing for certain: It will not take me."

"Me neither."

"Let's make it a promise." Ysault stood suddenly, holding out her hand towards Koichi. For a moment he considered. Then, smiling, he grasped it and allowed her to pull him to his feet.

"Never again," he said, meeting her determined stare with one of his own. She grinned back at him, nodding.

"Never again."


End file.
